relating to us and the present time has occasioned our falling into great mistakes For whereas the Lord said to his Disciples Matth. 17.20 If ye have faith as a grain of Mustard-seed ye shall say to this Mountain Remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be unpossible unto you Now tho' at that time the Disciples faith was but weak yet afterwards according to the promise of the Lord they did greater Miracles than that of removing Mountains but this promise belongs no more to us than that of sitting upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel But as much as we can do the Miracles so much the Promise belongs to us Likewise the Apostle speaking of the Gentiles which had received the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. v. 2,3 Ye know that ye were Gentiles carried away unto these dumb Idols even as you were led Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost Now he spake this of those that were convinced by the Holy Ghost that Christ was the Son of God For the others that were not then thus convinced would not own him But now all the Christians have learned by rote to say that Christ is the Son of God without the assistance of the Holy Ghost Now the persons of the first Churches were in a more particular manner chosen to be Heirs to the promised everlasting Covenant because unto them was given the Holy Ghost as the earnest of their Inheritance so as they must wilfully disinherit themselves if they mist of the promised blessedness but to the succeeding Generations of the Gentile Churches to them the Promises belonged as they before did to Israel And tho' they were not given the Holy Spirit to be in them as he was in the first Churches but to be with them as he was with Israel yet none can come in as Heirs to the promised Mercy without bringing their wills and affections into subjection unto Christ for he must be so in them as to have the ruling-power in the heart for he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his Rom. 8.9 That is so as to have their minds brought into subjection to the will of Christ Therefore St. Paul saith Rom. 8.13,14 For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye thro' the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God That is whosoever will not be led by the Spirit of God to obey the revealed Will of God are not the Sons of God Therefore St. Paul when he related who they were that were in Covenant he there declares it is the Believer that is in Covenant and therefore saith If one of the Parents be a Believer then are the Children holy 1 Cor. 7.14 Whereby we see all that come in as Heirs to the Covenant are included as Believers And the Believer is no longer a Believer than he believes Salvation is to be had according to the tenour of the Gospel But when the Everlasting Covenant is establisht with Abraham and his Seed together the which will be at the Resurrection of the Just which is at the restitution of all things then it is that God will never turn away from them neither shall they then any more depart from him Jer. 32.40 God saith I will make an Everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me This is that which crowns life to the Soul This promise is not only to the natural Seed of Abraham but to all the adopted Seed that shall be found true Believers in that day then it is that the Lord will perform his promise as in the 39th I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and their Children after them This is clearly evident that this promise was never made good to the Children of the Gentile Churches and therefore this promise remains to be made good in time to come for his faithfulness cannot fail for hath he said it and shall he not do it no let God be true and every man a lyar Now Israel when they were first brought under the Covenant then was the time when God saw them in their sin and said unto them live For when God brought them out of Egypt they were then polluted in their blood the which time was the time of love the Lord then taking them into Covenant with himself and thereby he said unto them live But Israel not obeying the voice of the Lord in living according to his Commands and Precepts therefore they were cast off of God So when God first took into Covenant the Transgressors of the Gentiles they were then polluted in their blood whom God then renewed by his Spirit and took them into Covenant with himself and put them into a capacity of obedience And the Believers Children were sharers in the promised Mercy until such time as they grew to have no love to the truth but like Israel took pleasure in unrighteousness Then God left them to strong delusions that they might believe lyes That all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes 2.12 But God hath promised all to be with them whilst they keep the way and to the remnant of whom the Disciples sprang which were his Fathers before and given to Christ it was those of whom Christ said None shall pluck them out of my hand but that he would be with them to the end of the World Now when Christ first came the Spirit was shed on Believers abundantly Titus 3.6 Yet notwithstanding St. Paul terms it but night to that approaching day which is at hand and therefore saith The night is far spent the day is at hand let us walk honestly as in the day c. Rom. 13.12,12 Thereby shewing that in that day there will be no disorderly walking amongst them for then it is that both the natural and adopted Seed of Jacob will be all taught of God from the least of them to the greatest of them so as they shall no more teach every man his Neighbour and his Brother For then it is The knowledge of the Lord shall cover the Earth as the Waters cover the Sea I shall not here insist upon the Everlasting Covenant because I intend fully to explain it in another Treatise Chap. XVI A Belief in Christ further Explained NOW whereas Christ saith He that believeth in me or on me shall be saved And the Apostles also Saying He that Believeth in Christ shall be saved Which is no other than in short to declare that Christ had said and manifested the way and
their Father In this portion hath the Disciples their part and when the Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our God and of his Christ Rev. 11.15 Then it is that the Kingdom of this World is become the Kingdom of their Father into which they shall thus gloriously shine forth and this is that the Apostle speaks of 1 Cor. 2.9 likewise Isa 64.4 and Ephes 2.6,7 and then they shall have their reigning-power on the Earth Rev. 5.10 next under Christ their Supreme Head Now the Lord all along whilst he was upon the Earth spake but in Parables as to his second coming and Kingdom Matth. 13.34 by reason Israel being sinful for which it was determined of God they should be left to blindness and that Christ should suffer by them for tho' in other things they sinned wilfully yet they ignorantly crucified the Lord of Life Acts 3.17 And the Lord again speaking of his second coming and of gathering the Nations and by the Parable of setting the Sheep on his right hand and the Goats on his left He saith to them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Matth. 25.34 Now from the foundation of the material Heavens and Earth there was no other Kingdom prepared but this World which will be again restored But the Law and Gospel speaking but to those that are under it Rom. 3.19 and chap. 2.12,14 The Lord might therefore have his reference to the foundation of the World that was laid in Israel for the World to come at which foundation Christ was figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb And then was the Kingdom of Canaan prepared for Israel by their Enemies destruction And the Gentiles that Christ shall find in obedience amongst the Christian Nations at his coming will then be made the Inheritors with Israel of this Kingdom For they were not only to be Heirs with Israel of the promised Everlasting Covenant whereby Eternal Life is secured to the Soul but they were also to have a share with them in their Inheritance For of Japhet it was prophesied that he should dwell in the Tents of Shem and therefore this Kingdom may likewise be said to be prepared for them And also at the restoration of all things it is that Israel will be restored to their own Land Joel 3.16 And then will God make her Wilderness like Eden and her Desart like the Garden of the Lord Isa 51.3 And then it is Christ will have his peaceable Kingdom Isa 11.9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain for the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea Isa 65.23,24,25 And in that day God will make a Covenant for them with the Beast of the Field and with the Fowls of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and he will break the Bow and the Sword and the Battel out of the Earth and will make them lie down safely Hosea 2.18,19 And then will God betroth them unto him for ever in righteousness and in judgment and in loving-kindness and in mercies v. 19. And then this is the Peace the Lord hath declared shall be in the time of his Kingdom But when Christ first came he said he came not to send Peace on Earth but a Sword Matth. 10.34 For in this time them that are the true Followers of Christ the Devil will be still raising them up Enemies And Christ saith to his Disciples That in him they might have peace but in the World they should have tribulation John 16.33 And likewise St. Paul saith That after his departure shall grievous Wolves enter in among them not sparing the Flock And also of their own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them Acts 20.29,30 which accordingly followed Now whereas it is said Prov. 16.7 When a mans ways please the Lord he maketh his Enemies to be at peace with him This King Solomon spake of the natural Seed of Israel which had they continued in the fear of the Lord they had then been the Emblem of that peaceable Kingdom that is now to come And they in this time should have been the Head and not the Tail and above only Deut. 28.13 But there never was any such promise made to the true Churches of Christ in this time but on the contrary they were foretold they should be afflicted persecuted and meet with fiery Tryals neither were they to adorn themselves 1 Pet. 3.3 Chap. XV. The Elect Church discovered And why God suffered the Beast to arise to deceive the Nations Also a twofold being in the Book of Life NOW Christ by his Word declareth that he would have an Elect Church or People throughout this World that should never be deceived by the Beast or false Prophet And that it was to his Disciples which came of the remnant of Israel unto whom Christ promised to be with to the end of the World Matth. 38.20 And that none should pluck them out of his hand And tho' the first Gentile Churches that received the Word from the mouth of the Disciples were likewise also Elected and fore-chosen of God and made partakers of the Holy Ghost yet their succeeding Generations were but raised to that from which Israel fell And God foreseeing that the Gentile Nations that embraced the Gospel would afterward fall away by having no love to the Truth but taking pleasure in unrighteousness as Israel and the People of Old had done Rom. 1.21,22 therefore it was determined of God they should be left to strong delusions to believe a Lye Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved 2 Thes 2.10,11,12 For which cause it was the determination of God that all that dwell upon the Earth should worship the Beast whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World Rev. 13.7,8 That is all the Kindreds and Tongues and Nations that dwell upon all the Earth that the Beast had dominion over should worship him except those whose Names were written in the Book of Life for the Word speaks to them that received it and it was those fell into the snare that had not a love to it but took pleasure in unrighteousness And Luther says that the Beast and false Prophet are generally comprehended under one head And the Lord saith Rev. 17.8 And they that dwell upon the Earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the World when they behold the Beast Now I have already proved by the Word in a Treatise concerning Election that there was no Election through the first World of People nor till after the miscarriage of Israel in the Wilderness Then did the Lord secure a certain remnant of them to himself at which time Israel was laid for the
Light of the Heaven as the Sun and Moon And as for the Elements we know that man's body is made up of the Four Elements Now St. Peter in his way of speaking doth make it a figurative Speech as to the burning the Heavens and Earth And when we can bring several places out of holy Writ to prove it to be so and places of Scripture to prove our assertion then we go upon good grounds but when we make figurative Speeches or Allegories where there is none and where there is for them to make an Assertion of that which they cannot bring good Proof for out of the Word is of very dangerous consequence and as the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 3.16 wrest the Scripture to their own destruction But this of St. Peter is easily proved a figurative Speech not only by his own manner of speaking but also by the Three Evangelists wherein our Lord makes no mention of the burning of the Heavens and Earth when he comes to judge the World Nor St. John in Rev. 6.14 mentions not any such thing as to the burning of them Neither in any of the Epistles of St. Paul is there any mention made of their being destroy'd at the coming of the Lord Nor doth any other place of the Bible speak of their being burnt but St. Peter And whereas the Apostle Peter makes mention of fire it is to set forth the fierce Anger of the Lord against sinners For as there is nothing so terrible to our Natures as fire so there can be nothing so insupportable as the Anger of the Almighty Lord and therefore he is said in 2 Thes 1.8 to come in flaming fire to take Vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ The weight of Whose Anger being more intolerable than we are able to imagine it Therefore God saith Jer. 23.29 Is not my Word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a Hammer that breaketh the Rocks in peices And therefore it is a usual Phrase in Scripture to express the Anger of the Almighty God by Fire Zeph. 1.18 where God himself saith with the Fire of my Jealousie And it is said of God Deut. 4.24 That he is a consuming Fire That is he is an unresistable Power Heb. 12.23 And as the Thorns cannot resist the Powerful Flames neither can we his ireful Judgments when he doth inflict them on the sinner And here had St. Peter in the plain Letter of the Word pronounc'd those Judgments against the Powers and People the then present Age could not have born it neither indeed the succeeding Generations And as for the Beast or Pope he found so much in the Scriptures against himself and his Crew that he made it Death for the Laity to read them that thereby his Falshood and Villany might remain undiscovered to the people Now the Pope did not rise till several hundred years after the Apostles And St. Paul in 2 Thes 2,3 Declareth that the day of the Lord shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition v. 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he is as God sitting in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God v. 9,10,11,12 Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonder v. 10. And with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved 11. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lit 12. That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but have pleasure in Vnrighteousness By which we may plainly see that God never leaves a people till such time as they forsake him by taking pleasure in Unrighteousness And therefore as to what hath been said of the Beast and the seven hill'd City and of the Reign of the Beast has been in a figurative way For the Pope's Design with his Crew being wholly to deceive the Will of God is that they might be deceived And it is said in Rev. 13.2 when the Beast arose The Dragon gave him his power and his Seat and great Authority And now as the Apostle saith 2 Thes 2.4 he opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped So that he is as God sitting in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God And now he sitting in the Temple of God and takes the Power of a God to him in that he saith the revealed will of God is no farther to be accounted of than to what he approves of in it And also he with his pretended Keys le ts into Heaven those whom God by his Word shuts out and them out of Heaven whom God by his Word permits in Thus they are filling up their Iniquity that they may come to their deserved end And little better success must no Sect or Church expect that has used the Word of God deceitfully nor their hypocritical Hearers As for this Babylon and Countries adjoyning to it is figured our to us in the former Idumea or Edom For Esau looking on himself as the Elder brother therefore his Envy was always towards Israel although he sinfully and foolishly did sell his Birthright unto shis Brother in the time he was distressed being faint for want of Food he then said if I die for hunger what good then will this birth right do me And so not regarding the promises of God and therefore in the day of tryal parted with his birthright for a mess of pottage And almost all this world being like unto him that in the day of tryal either for some lust or some profit or to deliver themselves out of some trouble they part with the blessing which God in Christ has promis'd which is eternal salvation if they walk according to the rule God has set before them And so for these uncertain momentary injoyments like Esau embrace this present world And when the time comes for the righteous to inherit the blessing these worldlings will then like Esau be rejected although they may then seek the blessing earnestly with tears as he did yet was rejected But as it is in our days the more emptiness and want of knowledge the more pride and malice So was it with the seed of Esau for it is said of him in Obed. 1. v. 3.4,8,10 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee Thou that dwellest in the clefts of the Rock whose habitation is high that saith in his heart who shall bring me down to the ground 4. Tho thou exalt thy self as the Eagle and the thou set thy nest among the Stats thence will I bring thee down saith the Lord. Verse 8. Shall I not in that day saith the Lord even destroy the wise men out of Edom and understanding out
Nourish thy Children O thou good Nurse stablish their feet That is pray for them instruct them exhort them reprove them rebuke and chastise them For the Lord saith in the 2 of Esdras 9.11 They that have loathed my Law while they had yet liberty And when as yet place of repentance was open unto them understood not but despised it V. 12. The same must know it after death by pain And Eby for not Chastising his Sons but onely reproving them therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against him 1 Sam. 2.30 Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever but now the Lord saith be it far from me for them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed V. 31. Behold the day is come that I will cut off thine arm and the arm of thy fathers house that there shall not be an old man in thine house Here we see it was sin that did disappoint them of a promised blessing And also the good King Josiah did forfeit his Temporal promised blessing the which was That he should die in peace But he unadvisedly went out to Fight with the King of Egypt when he was forewarn'd by the same King from the Lord to forbear as is said in Chron. 34.27 Because thine Heart was tender and thou didst humble thy self before God when thou heardest his words against this place and against the Inhabitants thereof and humblest thy self before me and didest rend thy Clothes and weep before me I have even heard thee also saith the Lord. 28. Behold I will gather thee to thy Fathers and thou shalt be gathered to the grave in peace neither shall thine Eyes see all the Evil that I will bring upon this place and upon the inhabitants of the same Now in the 2 Chron. 35.20 It is said that he went out to Fight against the King of Egypt 21. But he sent Embassadors to him saying what have I to do with thee thou King of Judah I come not against thee this day but against the House wherewith I have war for God commanded me to make hast forbear thee from medling with God who is with me that he destroy thee not 22. Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him but disguised himself that he might Fight with him and hearkned not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God and came to Fight in the Valley of Megiddo 23. And the Archers shot at King Josiah and the King said to his servants have me away for I am sore wounded of which he dyed And also St. Paul in Acts 27.22 saith to them that were in the Ship And now I exhort you to be of good cheer for there shall be no loss of any mans Life among you but of the Ship 23. For there stood by me this night the Angel of God whose I am and whom I serve 24. Saying fear not Paul thou must be brought before Caesar and lo God hath given thee all them that sail with thee 25. Wherefore Sirs be of good cheer for I believe God that it shall be even as it was told me Now when the Ship-men were going to make their escape out of the Ship St. Paul in the 31. v. saith to the Centurian and to the Soldiers except these abide in the Ship you cannot be saved Now all these things are set down for our Instruction and Example and to admonish us that through our own default we may miss of the Promised blessing For we must take to the way and use the means or else the blessing promised is not attainable Therefore St. Paul saith Heb. 4.1 Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it All these things being fair warning that as the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 1.10 We should use all diligence to make our calling and election sure And St. Paul saith Rom. 11.7 What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the Election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded Wherefore were they blinded Because they hardned themselves in disobedience unto God as I before shewed you Now there is a threefold hardness of Heart First There is a natural hardness or unbelief Secondly There is a wilful hardness or unbelief that is when we wilfully harden our selves against God and his word And then it is that God gives them up to a judicial hardness of Heart and blindness of mind Therefore the Lord saith in Isa 65.2 The which place is also mentioned by St. Paul in Rom. 10.21 But to Israel he saith I have spread out my hand all the day unto a rebellious People which walked in a way that was not good after their own thoughts And in Rom. 11.11,8 he saith According as it is written God hath given them the Spirit of Slumber Eyes that they should not see and Ears that they should not hear unto this day That is as I before shewed you in Isa 6.9 The which Judgment was pronounced against rhem by reason of their great wickedness the which is set down in the foregoing chap. of Isaiah to which I have already spoken and therefore shall here pass it by But as for the other quotation that is put down in the margin which is Isa 29.10 The which is not meant by St. Paul because that place hath its special reference to the Christians by reason from the 5. v. downward it treats of the Destruction of the World and Israel's Enemies the which is said to be at an instant suddenly that is when the Lord cometh At which time also there will be a great stupidness upon the Relapsed Christians occasioned by their sin of which St. Paul saith 2 Thes 2.10 Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved 11. And for this cause God sent them strong delusions that they should believe a lie 12. That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness For as I before shewed it is said in Rev. 13.2 That the Devil gave the Beast his Power of whom came strong Delusions so as they believed Lies Besides all the other Delusions that the Devil has sent abroad in the World the which God suffers to take with them that have no love to the Truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness The which makes sin exceeding finful By which we are also shewn that the day of Grace and the day of Life hath not one and the same period That is that the day of Grace may be taken away long before our natural Life is Ended Of which the Apostle saith Heb. 3.7 Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith to day if you will hear his Voice 8. Harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness 9. When your Fathers tempted me proved
foundation of the World to come for all that come in as Heirs to that World come in as the Seed of Abraham and from that foundation Christ was figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb and from that foundation were the works of those unbelieving Jews finished that fell in the Wilderness when they refused to go to fight for the Land of Canaan And because of Israel's miscarriage the first Gentile Churches were chosen to partake of the Holy Ghost and to bear their Testimony to the Truth the which are said to be chosen before the foundation of the World which foundation was Israel the which choice was not before them as to matter of time but as to matter of choice and liking in God rather to make choice of them that should ignorantly offend him than them that had wilfully disobeyed him And I also have proved that the Eternal Purpose has only a relation to the Eternity that lies before us that the being chosen from the beginning was no other than from the beginning of the Preaching of the Gospel And I have also proved that the Decree was made that the Entrances into Life should be made strait after Adam fell and how that straitness doth consist And what is meant by being of old ordained to this condemnation And also I have proved in the Book in which the Faith of Abraham is explained that them of the World embraced the Faith in the Apostles time and brought forth fruit as it did in the Elect Churches All these things I have made clear which hitherto we have not rightly understood which makes me the oftener recite them These things being proved it makes it evident that there was none Elected from the foundation but the remnant And also the first Gentile Churches that were afterward Elected were long departed this life before the Beast arose so as there was none of them then to be deceived by him Now there is also a twofold way of being in the Book of Life First They that have their names there Secondly Those that have a part therein and it is those that have their names there that are Elected and fore-chosen And after the first Gentile Churches were called in their Children were taken into Covenant and a Door of Mercy set open to all such as would take hold of the offer of Life according as it is tendered by Christ Now if these have not their names put into the Book of Life when they are taken into Covenant yet they have their part in the Book of Life in performing the conditions upon which Life is offered by Christ for those he will justifie by his Righteousness Heb. 5.9 The which name or part in the Book of Life may not only be lost through negligence and prophaneness but by adding or diminishing from the Word Rev. 22.19 Deut. 4.2 And there are others also that have a part in the Book of Life which will find Redemption in the World to come for they were such as received not the Truth in the love of it but took pleasure in unrighteousness that the Apostle saith should be damned 2 Thes 2.12 And they were such as heard the Truth and would not believe to obey it that the Lord gave Sentence against But those that have had a longing desire after the Truth and such as have not taken pleasure in unrighteousness such will find Redemption in the World to come And no young Children can take pleasure in iniquity Therefore when all come to be judged according to their works such will be cleared Rom. 2.14,15 Rev. 20.12 But I shall not here insist upon this Subject because I intend hereafter fully to prove it But by what the Lord saith it is of dangerous consequence to take from the Word as well as to add unto it Now the Gentile Christians when they came to have no love to the Truth whereby they might be saved but on the contrary took pleasure in iniquity God gave them up to worship the Beast for when they would not be bound with the Cords of his Laws and follow him in Love Patience and Humility in expectation of the reward of the Crown of Life when the Lord again shall come then it was God permitted the Prince of Darkness to set up his pretended Kingdom by which delusion they also lost the apprehension of the glorious Kingdom of Christ which is now to come and is very nigh at hand which Kingdom has been foretold by all the Prophets sworn to by God himself Psal 89.2 declared by the Apostles And because the Lord Christ spake but in dark Sentences and Parables when he was upon the Earth because that Israel being sinful thereby might be blinded Therefore he declared in Vision to St. John how he would come and of the glory of the New Jerusalem that should come down from Heaven and of his reigning Power here upon the Earth Also annexing those great threatnings mentioned Rev. 22.18,19 to any that should add or diminish to the words of this Prophecy Now all the Gentile Christians thus falling into delusion so as when any of them come out of that darkness by the knowledge of the Word it was evident to them they could not be of that remnant that should never be deceived by reason themselves knew that they or their Predecessors had been deceived by the Beast but as to that Remnant Church or People that the Word does thus bear witness to I shall not here speak further of but hereafter by God's assistance I shall declare who the Two Witnesses are and then I shall make appear who this Church and People and Remnant are to whom the Word doth thus bear witness to and they to the Word Whilst on the contrary the Apostate Church or great Harlot bear not witness to the Word nor the Word to her any otherwise than to her condemnation And our Predecessors being all involved in that darkness whereby we have lost the true sentiments of the Word and so mistakingly taking all that was said to the first Churches and to Israel at the restitution of all things as tho' they now belonged to us the which is of dangerous consequence and whereby many like Ephraim have a care they fall not into the snare as Israel did for when the Lord first came he coming not of a Person of Dignity but of one of no Estate in this World This proved a snare to Israel Let us take warning by them and not neglect the owning of the truth for if we do we shall be taken in the snare as they were for the day of the Lord will come as a snare upon all them that will not prepare for him and take the warning given by him by the signs and the opening of the word as he hath declared and now made them manifest to the world Chap. XVI The difference between the State of the Elect in this time and of that which is to come NOW when God does Elect or fore-chuse any Person or persons
for them it was fore-ordained by him that in good works they should walk before him Now these places are not fitly appliable to us for it is evident that we are not now in that gross darkness neither are we strangers to the Covenant of Promise as they were neither are we made partakers of the Holy Ghost as they were The like he saith of the Church in Titus chap. 3. v. 4,5,6,7 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour That being justified by his grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of Eternal Life Now by these places it is clear that he spake this concerning them of the Then Times For it is known to all that there has been no such abundant pourings forth of the Spirit upon the Chuches since the Apostles Times And these are they of whom the Apostle saith Called of God according to his purpose For whom he did fore-know he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son Rom. 8.28,29 According to which he saith Ephes 1.12 That they should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ. And St. Paul saith Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed This he also speaks of the Then Times and of the Churches that first trusted in Christ who were afore chosen of God according to his purpose which was to confirm the Truth of the Gospel to the following Generations and God gave to them more abundantly of his Spirit to secure their standing as well as to confirm the Truth of the Gospel so as if they did not disinherit themselves by wilful sinning they could no ways miss of Salvation for they were ordained chosen and appointed to it of God as Israel was for the Land of Canaan but neither of them was to have the fruition of that which was promised without their own endeavour Therefore St. Peter saith Save your selves from this untoward Generation Acts 2.40 And make your Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 And by the abundant pourings forth of the Spirit upon the first Churches they generally stood and the major part in Scripture is always reckoned as the whole whereas the Apostle saith As many as were ordained to eternal life believed This plainly shews that this Ordination was to the first Churches for if all that were ordained to eternal life then believed it makes it clear that to us that follow after there remains no such Ordination According to this St. James saith Acts 15.14 Simon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his Name How a people for his Name That is for the greater graces here and for the greater glory hereafter As in Ephes 1.12 That they should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ Ephes 2.7 That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards them through Christ Jesus Now at that time when God called in the Gentiles was the time when God made his Promise good to Christ and Abraham in that the Gentiles were taken into Covenant they then being justified by the Righteousness of Christ without the deeds of the Law and so by Christ they became the Seed of Abraham and were thereby brought into subjection to the Commands of God and the Moral Law Matth. 29.17 Matth. 20.28 Rom. 2.13 and so with Israel become Heirs to the Covenant of Promise which Covenant of Promise they were before strangers unto Eph. 2.12 and at the publication of the Gospel was the acceptable time and the great day of Salvation to the Gentiles when the Lord then thus took them into Covenant with himself and justified them freely by his grace without the deeds of the Law that thereby he might bring them and their Children in as Heirs with Israel to whom the promise belonged And also to shew that the Apostle had his chief reference to those times he saith 2 Cor. 5.19 To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation And he saith in chap. 6. verse 1,2 We then as workers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain For he saith I have heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee Behold now is the accepted time Behold now is the day of salvation For then was the accepted time that free grace was freely administred only by the change of their wills and affections and that done by the power of God but he beseeches them that they receive not the grace of God in vain for if they wilfully again were intangled in sin the grace of God was received in vain by them And whereas he saith Rom 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past Here he fully declareth that in the acceptable day it was their past sins were then pardoned and afterward they were to walk in newness of life And accordingly he saith in verse 26. To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Thereby clearly shewing that this Justification had in it a chief reference to those times at which time the Apostle did conclude as in verse 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law But when they were brought in as Heirs to the Covenant of Promise the case was altered with them for then there was required their sincere obedience to all God's Commands and Precepts and therein to remain faithful to the death if they would have the Crown of Life by the Everlasting Covenant secured to them for then they and their Children were to retain that Doctrine which was at first so powerfully delivered Heb 2.1,2,3,4 Therefore we ought to give the more diligent heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip For if the Words spoken by Angels were stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to the will of God Thus it was the will of God so powerfully to confirm the Doctrine of the Gospel For as the outward glory was
ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law That is not under the condemning power of the Law For such as be led by the Spirit yield their sincere obedience to the Moral Law Accordingly he saith Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified And also 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and Uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping the Commands of God And St. John saith chap. 5.3 For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous And Christ saith Matth. 19.17 If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments And also in John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandments By all this we see we are as much obliged to keep the Moral Law as ever Israel was But whereas the Apostle saith By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledge of sin That is by the Law we are all sensible that we do not live up to it as thereby to become justified by it and therefore by it all have knowledge that they sin for hone can live up to that perfection as to become justified by it without the merits of Christ But when Israel did walk blamelesly in it according to the capacity in which God had put them the Righteousness of Christ was imputed for their Justification And of Zechariah and Elizabeth it is said Luke 1.6 They were both righteous before God walking in all the Commands and Ordinances of the Lord blameless So if we render our sincere obedience to all God's Commands and Precepts we may then look to Christ with boldness for our Justification For tho' the Churches that first trusted in Christ were saved without the deeds of the Law or visible works of Righteousness yet not without an inward work which was in the change of their wills and affections as being the foundation to all good works which afterward they accordingly walked in all that remained stedfast in the Faith And also the Apostle Paul gives charge that they should be rich in good works 1 Tim. 6.18,19 That they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life By these words he fully declareth that good works are a foundation for us to build our hopes of Salvation upon as well as the merits of Christ for it is a conditional Covenant And also from these words of the Apostle we are to take notice there is another time to come before Eternity in which the Saints will be blessed And he saith Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him This is the Faith that stirs us up to all good works whereby we come in as Heirs to the promised mercy For Christ is the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 Who will render to every man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory honour immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile Rom. 2.6,7,8,9,10 For we must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or had 2 Cor. 5.10 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Rom. 2.13 And God hath ingaged himself by his promise to be the rewarder of good works Prov. 19.17 Matth. 10.39,40,41,42 Matth. 5.7 The merciful shall obtain mercy And the Lord saith Rev. 22.12 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every man according as his work shall be Therefore upon the promise of God St. Paul saith God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his Name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister Heb. 6.10 And whereas the Apostle saith If he had all Faith 1 Cor. 13.23 That is Faith in God and in the Righteousness of Christ with a belief also that good works are required and he knowing God And therefore if he did them not in love to God and love to his Neighbour it would profit him nothing for it is we have turned this Word into Charity which in the Original is Love But this he speaks to shew that God requires our Love in all our actions And accordingly he saith It is a faith that worketh by love which is required Gal. 5.6 And there is no such obedience as that wherein the heart is concerned But as for them that know not God and therefore love him not they shall also be judged according to their works So the Believers will be judged according to their actions done with their affections For it is not only our believing in the Righteousness of Christ for our justification will stand us in stead but how we have believed in Christ as to obey the Doctrine of Christ which will make us blessed in that day Whereby we see that tho' the Gentiles were at first called in and justified by his grace yet afterwards all that were not immediately after their Conversion taken away by death were to be judged according to their deeds done in the body from the time of Conversion For Saint Peter saith to the Church If ye call ou the Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work pass the time of your sojourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 That is the Believers will be judged according to their deeds from the time they were brought into the true knowledge of God and others how they have improved their day and season of grace in refraining that which is evil and in ordering their conversation according to the Gospel So all will be judged according to their deeds done in their body whether they have been good or evil For though we can do nothing of our selves without God's assistance yet it is required of us to improve the advantages and seasons of grace which he giveth us and to take to the Way and Rule that he hath set before us in which way he hath promised his assistance and it is such will be blessed Chap. IX What we ought to fear and what we ought not to fear Jude v. 12. These are spots in your Feasts of Charity when they feast with you feeding
not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this man's Religion is vain v. 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction and to keep themselves unspotted from the world Here we see St. James as well as St. Peter finds some that were willing to take up with an imaginary faith occasioned through the mistake of some of the sayings of St Paul Altho the same Apostle in such abundance of places doth so clearly explain himself by shewing what is required of them that are to be made partakers of the Crown of Righteousness as has been already proved And he also sheweth that good works is a foundation for us to build our hopes of Salvation upon as well as the merits of Christ 1 Tim. 6.17,18,19 And he also saith It is not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Rom. 2.13 And that we should give our Bodies a living Sacrifice which is our reasonable service Rom. 12.1 And also that we must maintain a continual warfare Eph. 6.11,12,13 And as we believe that God is so we are to believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 Now in all these places in which St. Paul writes plainly agreeable to the word of God and Christ the Prophets and Apostles we will not believe him in because they do not so well suit our inclinations But in those sayings of his which we have not understood him in we have placed our belief to the contradiction of himself and all the revealed will of God in his word And tho' St. Peter did forewarn us that in St. Paul's Epistles there were some things hard to be understood which then some did wrest to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 Yet we have not thereby taken warning but how we shall answer it before the great Judge which is just at hand we had need now to consider before it be too late Now the Churches that first trusted in Christ being more Eminently chosen and called of God and by the abundant shedding forth of the Holy Ghost upon them they generally stood But the following generations were but raised to that from which Israel fell And therefore by their miscarriage we had need take warning For the Apostle saith If God spared not the natural branches take heed lest he also spare not thee Rom. 11.21 And Oh! that it might be a sufficient warning to us Chap. XVII Shewing who are they that are condemned already And who it is that will find Redemption SAINT John saith Chap. 3.36 He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him This St. John spake of them that heard Christ and believed not on him The like the Lord saith of himself in the 18 verse He that believeth on me is not condemned but he that believed not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotton Son of God By these words it is plain that those that were condemned already were those that refused to believe in him And not that those were condemned for not believing in him who never heard of him For if so the Lord had then excluded all the first Churches who were then to be brought home by the preaching of the Gospel But we have falsly imagined from these and the like words as where the Lord said to his Disciples Mark 16.15,16 Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Which words has only a reference to such as believed and such as refused believing so as not to yield obedience to the truth when they heard it For according to the Commands of the Lord St. Paul saith The Gospel was preached to every Creature which is under heaven Col. 1.23 Now the Children did not fall under this condemnation because they were not capable of believing or not believing Neither do the Heathen now fall under this condemnation who know not the Gospel For none shall be damned for not believing that they never heard And whereas it is said 1 John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life These words do not exclude them that never heard of the Son so as none of them shall never receive life by the Son For there will be a Redemption in the world to come as will be fully proved in another Treatise And when Christ comes to judge the world and at the last and final Judgment they are all said to be judged according to their deeds done in the Body whether they have been good or evil And tho' in the parable of the Sheep and Goats there is but two sorts mentioned yet there is a third included in as much as the poor and the Children were not capable to be made partakers of the blessing or the curse in their doing or not doing good to the distressed Sheep of Christ And therefore the word all is not mentioned when he sentenced them to everlasting fire Matth. 25.41 And whereas Saint Paul saith To take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction 2 Thes 1.5,6,7,8,9 The word all he mentions not But he includes them that have the knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ yet in works deny him in that they will not yield obedience to him And the Apostle saith Rom. 3.19 That what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law So likewise what the Gospel saith it saith to them that are under the Gospel That is to them that have the Gospel and obey or refuse to obey the same To them accordingly doth the promised mercy or the threatned judgment belong And in the Gospel is required our obedience to the Moral Law And also he saith Rom. 2.11,12 There is no respect of persons with God For as many as have sinned without the Law shall also perish without the Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law By which we see the Heathens that have not the knowledge of God come not under the same Judgment or condemnation of the fiery indignation unto which the wicked Christians are condemned because the law and Gospel only speaks to them that are under it Neither did the Old world go into the fire of Hell And all being judged according to their works and according to their deeds done in the body whether they have been good or evil Therefore to them that has done no evil works there will be a general release when they are judged Therefore all Children will certainly be cleared Neither do all offenders fall under everlasting condemnation The which by God's assistance I
of the Crown of righteousness till at his departure when the end had crown'd his work 2 Tim. 4 7,8 Neither was the Crown of life any otherwise promised But the Apostle in this place had his reference to the general Callings as of Israel and the Gentile Churches But more peculiarly to the time when Israel will again be called in at the time of the Restitution of all things For when the Lord comes again to Zion it is then he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob Rom. 11.25,26 And then it is God will see no iniquity in Jacob when he hath purged all iniquity from them For they are the elect unto whose persons the promise is made to as Rom 11.28 For they are beloved for their Fathers sake And then the believer in Christ will partake with them of the Eternal Inheritance that is but in this time promised Unto which Inheritance the persons of the first Gentile Churches were chosen and had given them the Holy Ghost as the earnest of that Inheritance which they should be heirs to world without end if they did not disinherit themselves For the Seed that is in Christ and Isaac is them that have the Spirit of Christ and them that have a mind and will brought into Subjection unto the mind and will of Christ without which they are none of his Rom. 8.9,14 But when Israel is restored God will give them one heart and one way that they may fear him for ever Jer. 32.39 for the good of them and their Children after them Chap XXIII Adding to the Church and ordaining to Eternal Life explained And Christ dying for the world ST Peter said to the Jews Acts 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved This he said to the Jews because the generality of them were excluded the then mercy so that such of them as were not left to blindness were daily added to the Church For Christ in Zion was laid as a stumbling stone And as for those Gentiles that were ordained to eternal Life they were called in by the convincing power of the Spirit which went with the word of the Disciples whereby they did yield their assent to be obedient to the truth which they no sooner did but God justified them by his grace and glorified them by his giving to them the Holy Ghost to be in them whereby he did abound to them in all wisdom and prudence and in divers miracles and gifts This is that in which God did manifest himself to them as he did not unto the world These are they which Christ prayed for with his Disciples that should believe in him thro' their word Which was by the word preached by the mouth of the Disciples by whom the first Churches were gathered For the word of God and Christ was never term'd the word of the Disciples But the first Churches receiving the word from the mouth of the Disciples therefore said by Christ to believe in him thro' their word But when the Holy Ghost was shed forth abundantly on the first Churches then the Holy Ghost became an evident witness to the world that God had sent Christ So as the world did not believe thro' the Word of the Disciples but through the convincing signs and wonders and mighty power of the Spirit of God that was seen amongst the Churches The which did bear witness it was the word of God that was taught amongst them For had we had no other witness than the word of a few Disciples that Christ was the Son of God there had been little reason for the world to have believed it But the visible witness of the Holy Ghost bearing witness to the truth of what the Disciples taught was the convincing argument to the world that God had sent Christ as thereby they might take hold of the offered mercy by him on the condition as it is tendred And if we are found in our duty according to the capacity God has put us in we then shall not want his assistance to enable us to do that which he requires of us But as for the Disciples and first Churches Christ in a particular manner prayed for as he did not for the world John 17.21 That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they all may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me Now whereas the Lord saith that they may be one in us That was in that they were made partakers of the Holy Ghost which both them that were first given to Christ of the Father and the first Churches that should believe in him thro' their word received from the mouth of the Disciples were also partakers of that one Spirit with God and Christ and thereby became one with them in being united by one Spirit For the Spirit that was before with the Disciples was given to be in them John 14.17 That they should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ Eph. 1.12 And this was evident to the world when the Holy Ghost was thus given And the Lord here prayed that by this clear manifestation to the world the world might believe that God had sent him For when the world believed that God had sent Christ by the Convincing Signs and wonders miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost that was then given part of the world embraced the Faith as St Paul declareth and the word brought forth fruit in them as it did in the Church of Collosse Chap. 1.6 For according to the Command of Christ The Gospel was preached to every Creature under Heaven Col. 1.23 And by the mighty signs and wonders that accompanied the Word they were under a conviction that Christ was the Son of God And then there was a power in them to go to him for the offered mercy But when God for sin withdraws from a Person People or Nation he then leaves them to blindness as he did Israel and Christ so died for the World that all that have not disinherited themselves will reap benefit by it Now the first Churches were as a Candle lighted up by the Lord to enlighten the World who lay in Wickednesss and Darkness And they being to withstand all the fury of the Enemy at the Publication of the Gospel Therefore they had so great a portion of the Spirit given them And it was them whom the Disciples taught that received the Word from their mouth and so believed in Christ thro' their Word to whom Christ made these promises Mark 16.15,16,17 Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature And these signs shall follow them that believe In my Name shall they cast out Devils They shall speak with new Tongues they shall take up Serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them They shall lay hands on the Sick and they shall recover By these words we see nothing can be more plain than
the Lord loved him And what the Lord here saith as to his selling his Estate and giving it to the Poor was as well to instruct the Church by reason they were not long to have inheritances there the which all the Church followed after the Crucifixion of the Lord. And St. Paul saith in Acts 13.26 Men and Brethren Children of the Stock of Abraham and whosoever among you feareth God to you is the word of this Salvation sent By which it is clear that none was left of God to blindness of Mind that truly fear'd his Name And so now it is with us as 't was with the Jews that our Inheritances here will signify little to us And whereas the Lord saith Matt. 11.13 For all the Prophets and the Law Prophesied until John That is until John there was a Succession of Prophets and the whole Law was of force until John after which the Ceremonial Law was Abolished But the Moral Law and some of the Prophesies of the Antient Prophets will be of Force in the World to come Bishop Vsher says We do not well understand what Sanctification and the New Creature are it is no less than for a man to be brought to an intire Resignation of his Will to the Will of God and to live in the Offering up of his Soul continually in the Flames of Love as a whole Burnt-Offering to Christ and how little says he are many of those who profess Christianity experimentally acquainted with this work on their Souls And he further saith 'T is those of the Inner-Court that shall be left as a Seed to partake of the Glory And also good Mr. George Withers saith The Lord will again come whom the Jews do expect And also Mr. Saltmarsh witnessed it with his Death And all the Scriptures do agree in foretelling the second coming of the Lord and other good men whom God hath open'd their Eyes to understand the same with the evident signs that were foretold should be before the coming of the Lord as now if we will be wilfully ignorant of the Truth we must take what follows And that we are in the time of Daniel's 45. Year is most certain and that there is a great many of them past since the signs have been upon the Earth is evidently manifest but as to the day and Hour of the Lord 's coming is uncertain altho very near at hand therefore we should prepare for it and pray for his coming and earnestly desire it I am apt to believe the first Blasing-Star that was seen in 1662 of which it was said it was a rod to whip the World withal which I take to be the first sign that God gave notice of the near approaching Judgment of this World and since we have had several Blazing-Stars and continual Signs As the oft-repeated Earth-quakes and the Cities of the Nations falling with the repeated Rivers and Floods of Fire out of the Earth and Wâ—rs in divers places which were the signs the Lord gave us of his coming which the Earth never produc'd the like before The Lord grant we may be warned by the signs of the Time as all that look Sion ward may â—ay themselves low at his foot that they may be refreshed by his presence And Lord grant that thy Ransomed ones may be many My Book being not so well done as I intended therefore I shall not at this time give an account of the Return from the Land of the Enemy of them that Died Innocently being clearly to be proved by those that are said to be slain in the New Testament are said they shall return from the Land of the Enemy in the Old and also in the last Judgment they are all Judg'd according to the deeds done in the Body With several other places to the like effect which I shall not here mention THE Christian Belief Shewing What a Christian ought to Believe What a true Soul saving Faith is What a false Faith is and Instructions as to a true One With a Brief Explanation Shewing how the Spirit of Christ must be in us or we are none of his proving that it is the same mind is required in us as was in Christ Jesus in having our wills brought into Subjection unto the Will of God And not that the Holy Ghost is given to be in us as it was in the first Churches whereby mighty Sgns and Wonders were done by them and the same Anointing taught them the hidden Misteries of God for the Confirmation of the Gospel that others and those that did come after them might believe the Truth thereof As also an Account of Boptism as to the sign and the thing signified And of the Trinity By M. Mersen London Printed and Sold by John Clarke at the Bible in the Old Change John Gwillim in Bishops-gate-street over against the Royal James Mrs. Mitchel at the Crown and Cushion in Westminster Hall and Mr. Garin over against the Crown Tavern in the Strand the corner of St. Clements Church Yard 1697. The TABLE ADefinition of a true Faith p. 182 A Covenant p. 185 A false Faith and instructions in the true One p. 187 Concerning the everlasting Life given the believer p. 202 A grain of Faith explained p. 228 How it is Christ dwells in us by his Spirit if we are his explained p. 233 An explanation of Baptism p. 245 An explanation of the Trinity p. 247 Concerning the Soul of Man Advertisement THis being part of a Book which contains three Subjects which is parted that all might the better attain to the knowledge of the things therein contained The other Book fully explains the meaning of St. Paul where he speaks of willing and running And therein also is the Faith of Abraham clearly explained with the other difficult places And also therein is proved that the Spirit or Holy Ghost that was but with the Disciples or Church was afterward given to be in the first Churches Joh. 14.17 And therefore Peter said that God put no difference between us and them He there speaks of those that were likewise fore-chosen and did partake of the Holy Ghost to be in them by which they immediately upon receiving spake with Tongues Act 15.8 which evident Witness was to confirm the Gospel to the following Generations But when I Wrote this book I then thought that those that laid hold of the offered Mercy were likewise termed the Elect as well as those that were fore-chosen But since by the Word I find they are but in Covenant I therefore here acknowledge my mistake in explaining those words of St. Peter Acts 15.9 which mistake is in page 232 blotted out THE Christian Belief OR That a Christian ought to Believe according to the Precept of God's Word â— Believe in God the Father Almighty That he was from all Eternity to 〈◊〉 all Eternity God blessed for ever â—…inite in Wisdom Holiness Justice â—…odness and Truth also in Power and 〈◊〉 Glory and that he was the Gen. 1 1â—
Maker 〈◊〉 Heaven and Earth and all things â—…rein contained whether visible or inâ—…ble and that out of the Gen. 2.7 dust of the â—…und God created Man and breathed inâ—… him the breath of life and thereby â—…n became a Gen. 28. living Soul and was plac'd 〈◊〉 God in Gen. 1.26,27 Eden the Garden of God in â—…oly happy blessed State and God â—…ve them Power over the Fish of the 〈◊〉 the Fowl of the Air and the Beast 〈◊〉 the Field and over all the Earth and over every thing that creepeth on the Earth And Man should have so continued in this blessed and happy State Gen. 2.17 never to have known decay sickness forrow or death had he not there sinned against his great Creator and his most liberal Benefactor Gen. 3.4,5 in that they did adhere to the Enemy of God which is the Devil and believed what he said and did not believe the God of Truth for which they were turn'd out of Paradise Gen. 3.23 and became more vile and miserable than all Creatures that have their Being upon Earth and so 't would have succeeded to his unborn Posterity Job 14.4 Psal 51.5 Job 4.8 for now their Natures became corrupt so as Righteousness and Holiness and Wisdom which was the Image of God stampt upon them now had left thâ—m and was quite defaced in them and they became 〈◊〉 like the Prince of Darkness which is â—…e Devil who for his Pride and Rebelâ—â—n against God he and his Adherents were cast out of Heaven and from glorious Angels became Devils in Hell and are kept in Chains of Darkness unto the Judgment of the Great Day of God who are to be punished eternally in Hell-fire Joh. 3.44 Joh. 3.8 Jude 6. 2 Pet. 2.4 But God looking on Mankind in their forlorn and miserable Condition with an eye of pity and compassion gave them a word of Comfort which was That the Gen. 3.15 Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpent's head which is the Devil and God said that he would put enmity between the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent And in that God had compassion on Mankind rather than upon the fallen Angels so as to send them a Saviour Luk. 2.11 Mat. 1.21 There was this reason the fallen Angels were the principal and alone Causes of their own Rebellion but Mankind was stirr'd up to it through the subtil Insinuations and Lyes of the Devil Gen. 3.1 and therefore Mankind had a Tender of Grace offered them if we receive it according to the condition as it is offered us which is with Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ with Love and Obedience to him to whom all the Prophets bear witness â—…aring he should be born of a Virgin 〈◊〉 speaking of his Sufferings and of his Death and of his Rising again Act. 20.21 Act. 4.12 Act. 3.23,26 Isa 7.14 Isa 53. Ps 16.10 Act. 2.24 13.34 I believe in this Lord Jesus Christ â—hat he is the onely begotten Son of God who gave himself to satisfie Divine Justice and to make Reconciliation for poor â—ost and undone Creatures which were dead in Trespasses and Sins through that â—f Adam's Transgression Joh. 1.14 Joh. 10.15,18 Eph. 2.1 Heb. 9.14 2 Cor. 3.5 Gen. 6.5 Rev. 3.17 Rom. 7.15 Job 4.20 Isa 30.33 2 Pet. 2.4,5 whereby our Nature became so corrupt that we have â—est us neither Strength to stand 〈◊〉 Willâ—… striâ—… nor 〈…〉 〈…〉 in which woful condition we should have spent some few Days here and after which been plunged into Hell it self for ever and there to have been tormented with the Devil and damned Spirits Luk. 16.32 Jud. 7. Isa 5.15 Deut. 32.22 Joh. 1.1,2,3 without any redress had not the Son of God the second Person in the Trinity who to fulfil his Fathers promise and for the wonderful Love he bare to his Creatures he left the Throne of his Fathers Glory where he had been from all Eternity and did vouchsafe to take upon him the means of our Flesh and therein was conceived by the Power of the Holy Ghost in the Womb of the Virgin Mary Matt. 1.20,21 Luk. 1.30,31,32 but born of her without sin and when he came into the World he then suffered the Miseries of this Life the Wrath of God and the cursed Death of the Cross that through Death he might destroy him that had the Power of Death which is the Devil and deliver them who through the fear of Death were all their Life-time subject to bondage Luk. 23.35,36 Luk. 23.33 and 44 45 46. Heb. 2.14,15 and the Lord of Life was buried descended into Hell and continued under the Power of Death till the third Day Luk. 24.6,7 in which he rose again from the Dead as a triumphant Victor over Sin Death and Hell and after his Resurrection he was seen oâ— all his Apostles 1 Cor. 15.5,6 and of above 500 Brethreâ— at once and remained upon the Earth for the space of forty Days and then he went to Mount Olivet with his Disciples and more Witnesses Act. 1.3.9,10,11,12 and from thence he ascended up into Heaven and now sitteth at the Right-hand of God the Father and there maketh intercession for the Saints according to the Mind of God Heb. 1.3 Joh. 12.41 Rom. 8.34 Heb. 6.7.25 I believe also that assuredly there is Life and Salvation to be had through our Lord Jesus Christ if we come to him by faith and repentance so as to confess and forsake our sins and believe in him and his word so that we unfeignedly love and fear to offend him we shall be beloved of him and made eternally blessed by him through his perfect Righteousness which shall be imputed to us who is able to preserve us in time and in Eternity I believe in the Holy Ghost that he is the Sanctifier of our Natures whereby our Wills are renewed so as to desire to serve the living God in truth and in sincerity and also in time of trouble he doth often administer comfort and consolation to the Saints Acts 20.21 and 3.19 John 14.21 Joh. 8.31 Jer. 23.6 Rom. 8.14 1 Cor. 3.15 Gal. 5.16 1 Cor. 1.22 Joh. 5.26 I believe there is a Holy Catholick Church a member of which is every sincere hearted Christian throughout the World that worships the Lord in spirit and truth for our blessed Lord saith John 4.23,24 that the Father seeketh such to worship him I believe there will be the Resurrection of the Body and Life everlasting for the Righteous and eternal Damnation for them that go on in their wicked Ways I believe also that the Lord will come in the last Day in the Clouds of Heaven to render vengeance to his Adversaries and those that know not God and will not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.21,22 Joh. 5.28,29 Col. 1.18 Matt. 25.46 John 11.24 Acts 1.11 2 Thess
Wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone That is they sought it by the righteousness of the works of the ceremonial Law which consisted in sacrifices washings and often purifications Of which the Apostle saith Heb. 10.1,2 For the law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect For then would they have ceased to be offered because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sin Now this was the Law to which Israel trusted to take away their sin Of which Law or Statutes God saith Ezek. 20.25 they were not good Because as it is said in the Hebrews they were but a shadow of the good things to come and therefore could not make the comers thereunto perfect But had Israel employed their utmost diligence in their obedience to the moral Law they had not been left to stumble at that stumbling stone as God by the Prophets hath declared And also Christ himself saith Matth. 23.23,24 Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin and have omitted the weightier matters of the law judgment mercy and faith these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone Ye blind guides which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel And again he saith Matth. 19.16,17 One came and said unto him good Master what good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life And the Lord said unto him if thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments And again Luke 10.25,26,27,28 Another came unto the Lord saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life He said unto him What is written in the Law how readest thou And he answering said thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy strength and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy self And he said unto him Thou hast answered right this do and thou shalt live And St. Paul saith Rom. 10.6,7,8,9,10,11 The righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation For the Scripture saith whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed The which word of faith mentioned in the 8. v. comprehends all that is contained in the Gospel relating to man's salvation Wherein is declared Christ coming from Heaven his rising again from the dead with the conditions on which Christ and Salvation is offered The knowledge of which he saith was in their mouth and in their heart it being that which he had preached to them And whereas he saith in the 9. v. Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Now this verse as they have parted the words is a contradiction to all the Scripture but the words that go before and the verse that follows after explain the Apostles meaning Where he saith in the 10. v. Rom. 10.10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness The which we no sooner are converted but we resign up our selves to him desiring in all things to walk suitably to him the which if we so do we may believe that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us For it is only the sincerity of the heart as to the truth of their belief which will produce a holy life according to the will of God For it is said Heb. 11.12,14 Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Now what the Apostle here said in the 9. v. was to the Church that he had before instructed and of whom he had had proof of their sincerity and therefore incouraged them to go on in the open acknowledging and confessing of the Lord although they were but a few People amongst a multitude of Heathens And that their faith might not flag as to God's raising Christ from the dead he lets them understand it was a great point of their Salvation according to what he saith 1 Cor. 15.14,16,17 If Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain For if the dead rise not then is not Christ raised and if Christ be not raised your faith is vain ye are yet in your sins By which we see it is one of the material points of our Salvation And St. Paul saith Rom. 10.12,13,14 There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Here we see in these verses he speaks in general to all but in the 9. v. he speaks to a particular People or Persons to whom he wrote Now in the 12. v. Whereas he saith there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek That is salvation was alike common to all that did alike call upon him And whereas he saith in the 13. v. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved I hope that you do not here apprehend that it was only with a vocal voice that if they so call that they shall be saved No it is the voice of the heart that there may be a suitable frame of Spirit whereby we may call upon God as is required for it is the tongue that expresseth but the meaning or voice of the heart and the tongue is not the man but a small member of him And had we no tongue to express our desires yet the sincerity of our heart in our affections towards God and being sensible of our own unworthiness is that voice which the Lord will hear And like unto this was the voice of the Malefactor that was crucified with Christ who in the sence of his own unworthiness and of Christ's righteousness called on the Lord for mercy Luk. 23.40,41,42,43 faith in him being strong when the Lord was most afflicted and eclipsed which made his believing on him at that time more wonderful but it was the Lord look'd in upon his heart he not before
had brought down his will into subjection to Christ in hopes to obtain eternal salvation by him and his love a full satisfaction Therefore he saith after he had spoken of the righteousness of Abraham Gal. 3.7,8 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the Children of Abraham And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying in thee shall all the nations be blessed This is as I before told you was upon the publication of the Gospel that all that were converted thereby so as to be brought into the fold of Christ they no sooner so believed but that all original and actual sins that they had aforetime committed were done away and they accepted as perfectly righteous in and through the imputed righteousness of Christ by faith in him And so they were excluded from the curse oâ— the law for all their past sins before conversion done by them Gal. 3.9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham That is if they continue faithful as he did And St. Paul farther saith Gal. 3.13,14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us for 〈◊〉 is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith That is if we have not our spirits brought over into a conformity and suitableness to the spirit of Christ then are we not of this faith and so not delivered from the curse of the law And it is further said Rom. 8.6 For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace And St. Paul also saith Rom. 3.20,21,22 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin That is we cannot fulfill the law to that perfection as to become justified thereby But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested being witnessed by the law and the prophets That is by the law with the paschal Lamb and the bloody Sacrifices by the Prophets in that they did all along Prophesie of him Rom. 3.23,24,25 Even the righteousness of God which is by â—aith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all â—hem that believe for there is no difference 〈◊〉 all have sinned and come short of the â—…ry of God Being justified freely by his â—ace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Whom God hath set forth to â—e a propitiation through faith in his blood 〈◊〉 declare his righteousness for the remission 〈◊〉 sins that are past through the forbearance 〈◊〉 God Here he tells them when their â—ns are to be forgiven that it was their â—ast sins before they were brought into â—e faith of Christ that upon their conâ—ersion were all forgiven them As the â—postle saith Rom. 3.26 To declare I say at this â—ne his righteousness that he might be â—ct and the justifier of him which belieâ—…th in Jesus Whereas he saith that â—e might be just which was in that he â—…t the Son of his love according to his â—…omise and so justified them that belieâ—ed in Jesus which belief is as I beâ—…e proved to you for we are no sooner 〈◊〉 Christ but we must become new Creaâ—…res 2 Cor. 5.17 And he saith Rom. 3.27,28 Where is boasting â—en it is excluded by what law of works â—y but by the law of faith Therefore we â—nclude that a man is justified by faith â—ithout the deeds of the law Here Paul â—akes this conclusion that a man is juâ—…fied by faith without the deeds of the law For he here wrot to the Gentiles that had been given to all sin and idolatry to let them understand how they became justified that it was by faith which faith has as large an extent as I have before shewed you and that it must be a faith like Abrahams And in the 25. v. before-mentioned He there tells them when their sins are forgiven so as they become justified without the works of the law Rom. 3.25 that it is upon their conversion that then their forepast sins shall be forgiven them and that they are then justified by faith without the deeds of the law so that iâ— they are suddenly after taken away by death they shall be accepted through the righteousness of Christ And St. Paul saith Rom. 3.29,30 Is he the God of the Jews only is he not also of the Gentiles Yes of the Gentiles also Seeing it is one God which shaâ—… justifie the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith Now Stepheâ— saith to the Jews Acts 7.51 they were uncircumcifed in heart and ears although they were circumcised in the flesh Now the Gentiles were not circumcised yet they aâ—… said to be circumcised by faith then thaâ— must be in heart and ear by which wâ— may also see that this justifying faith 〈◊〉 such as doth produce a holy life Anâ— the Apostle saith Rom. 3.31 Do we then make voâ—… the law through faith God forbid ye 〈◊〉 establish the law That is none can obey the law with that sincerity delight and desire as those that are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands And St. Paul saith of the outward circumcision Gal. 5.6,7,8 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Ye did run well who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you We also here see that saving faith worketh by love and there is no such obedience as that wherein the heart is engaged And he here tells the Galatians that they did run well who did hinder them that they should not obey the truth And before he told them that they had begun in the Spirit by which it was certainly sure they were in the right And he farther lets them understand that it was not of him that called them that this delusion or perswasion came therefore it was by the wiles of Satan and his Instruments that they foolishly were insnared But St. Paul saith Rom. 2.7,8,9,10,11,12,13 To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath Tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of man that doeth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile For there is no respect of Persons with God For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law For not
is done to the Figtree but also if ye shall say unto this Mountain be thou removed and be thou cast into the Sea and it shall be done 22. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in Prayer believing ye shall receive This Christ spake to his Disciples unto whom he afterward gave as great power to as that of the removing of Mountains when he sent upon them the Holy Ghost and the Power of working Miracles and there is no doubt but if they had said to the Mountain be thou removed into the Sea but it should have been done as well as when Elijah called for Fire to come down from Heaven But these promises belong not to us but those that find they have Power to do these Miracles may believe they do belong to them Now here is some difference betvven vvhat is said in these Verses and vvhat is said in the former for there it is said that they shall say to this Mountain be thou removed and it shall be done but in these last Verses it is said if you shall say to this Mountain be you removed and it shall be so In the former there should be nothing impossible for them to do But in these vvhatsoever they should ask believingly they should receive Now as St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 13,2 And tho I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all Misteries and all knowledg And tho I have all Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have no Charity I am nothing 3. Altho I bestow all my goods to feed the Poor and tho I give my hody to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing Now these Mountains that St. Paul here speaks of doth appear to be some inbred Corruption which a man might find some inconvenience in And so for fear of Hell he becomes terrified and therefore no longer willing to live in them having all Faith as to believe the whole Revealed Will of God in his Word And therefore when he finds that he in his own strength was not able to overcome them then he goes to fetch strength from the the Lord in making his Addresses to him for his Assistance and having thereby gain'd power to remove these Mountains yet if his Heart is not drawn out in the Love of God and Christ thereby he is still nothing for it is our Love that God requireth and it is that which will launch with us into the World that is to come As to that word which in these new Translations is termed Charity is in the old Translation Love as in the Original For by Love vve extend our selves to God as vvell as to our fellovv Creatures vvhich by Charity vve cannot do Now as for those places of Scriptvre vvhere Christ and his Apostles saith he that believeth in me or he that believeth in Christ shall be saved is only in short to remember them of the Lord 's Revealed Will in his Word vvhich if they do so believe in the Lord as to make his Commands and Precepts the rule of their Lives to live according thereunto they shall be saved The vvhich is a clear demonstration that the Lord hath by himself and his Apostles left us Instructions vvhich vve are to believe by vvhich Salvation is attainable The vvhich St. Paul's vvords does farther clear 1 Cor. 15.1 Moreover Brethren I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you which also ye have received and wherein ye stand By which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I Preached unto you unless ye have believed in vain And St. Peter faith 1 Pet. 1.21,22 Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the Dead and gave him Glory that your Faith and Hope might be in God Seeing ye have purified your Souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit see that ye Love one another with a pure Heart fervently We here see this Faith purifieth the Soul and extendeth it self in Love for God is Love And St. Peter saith in Acts 15.9 That God put no difference between us and them purifying their Hearts by Faith By vvhich vve see if vve have a saving faith it vvill vvork the same effect in us This is spoken of the Election 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 of those that were Christ's standing witnesses thro' the World of whom the Lord faith in John 10.27,28 That none can pluck them out of his hand Concerning the Indwelling of Christ in us NOW as to Christ's being in us and as to the indwelling of the Spirit with us I shall here set down what St. Paul saith 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be roprobates Now we are to take notice what he here saith in the former part of the verse the which was that we should examin our selves whether we are in the Faith and that we should prove our selves as much as to say that is the way to know whether Christ is in us or no And in the Ephesians he tells us plainly how it is Christ is said to dwell in us where he saith in Ephes 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith that ye being rooted and grounded in Love By which we may clearly see it is by Faith and Love that Christ is said to dwell in our Hearts And therefore St. Paul saith in 1 Cor. 16.22 If any Man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him him be Anathema Maranatha The which is let him be Accursed and if accursed besure he is a Reprobate Now if the indwellings of Christ in us is by Faith and Love then the best way to know whether Christ hath such an Indwelling in us or no is by our Obedience to him in our close walking with him according to his Revealed Will in his Word And if so we shall have the Spirit which is the Comforter more or less bearing Witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God And St. Paul here speaks of the Works of the Flesh where he saith Rom. 8.5 to the 10. v. They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit For to be carnally minded is Death but to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace Because the carnal mind is entirely against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And if Christ be in you the Body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is Life because of righteousness We see that the Spirit here spoken of is no other but a Spirit of Complaiscency to God and Christ in that their Wills are brought over into the Love
beginning For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil That is He that wilfully committeth sin is of the Devil for we shall stand or fall according to the integrity or uprightness of our wills the which if that is not right the man cannot be without sin And the which sin makes them the Children of the Devil And of whom God saith in Prov. 1.25,26 They set at nought all his Councel and would none of his reproof Therefore he saith I will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh And whereas it is said for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil Here St. John doth not speak in the ordinary Scripture way of mentioning things that are to come as though they were already done But in our plain way of speaking in that he saith that he might destroy the works of the Devil whereby we know that it is not yet done but that he hath already paid the Ransome for that which he shall have in possession at that time of Restitution and then shall he destroy the works of the Devil For Christ himself saith in John 14.30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you for the Prince of this World cometh and hath nothing in me Now it is Evident if the Devil be the Prince of this World Christ hath not yet destroyed the works of the Devil And as to what St. John saith in the 9. v. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Now in the former Verse he makes mention of himself and the Church and also saith they are called the Sons of God but in 1 John 3.9 he neither makes mention of himself or the Church but saith Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Here we see that those that are thus born of God cannot wilfully sin But he writ not so to the Church to whom he directed this Epistle although they received the special Anointing For he saith to them in 1 John 2.24,28 Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you ye also shall continue in the Son And he saith in the 28. v. And now little Children abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming By which cautions we see that tho they had received the anointings of the Spirit yet through negligence they might fall off That some are so absolutely chosen or otherwise termed the very Elect or as in Matt. 13.8 The good ground the Lord speaketh of which bringeth forth Fruit so as they cannot wilfully sin and therefore cannot fall away whilst the other had a season of Grace and the anointing of the Spirit and renewings of the Holy Ghost in which benefits they must use their utmost diligence to make their Calling and Election sure and to persevere in an holy Life as they may become the Sons of God Of which St. John saith 1 John 2.29 If ye know that he is Righteous ye know that every one that doth Righteousness is born of him Now that the Righteousness that St. John here speaks of is no other than the uprightness of our wills accompanied with our utmost endeavours to persevere in an Holy Life by which we like Children shew forth our Love and Obedience to God and Christ and if so the Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us so as we become perfectly Righteous in the sight of God through the Righteousness of Christ put upon us the which his own words makes fully evident by reason in his first Chapter of the said Book he informs them fully how the case stood with them where he saith in 1 John 1.6,7,8,9,10 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in Darkness we lie and do not the truth But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness If we say that we have not sinned we make him a liar and his word is not in us St. John in the first of these verses tells us That if we say we have fellowship with God and walk in darkness that we are lyars And he saith in the following verse If we walk in the light as he is in the light that is as God is in the Light then have we fellowship one with another that is with God according to what he saith in the 3 v. of the same chap. Now our walking in the light as he is in the Light is to have perfection always in our Eyes and aims so as to make it our daily endeavour to persevere man Holy Life and then the Blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin And in the 8. v. he wholly takes us off of that blind conceit as to think that we have no sin For he saith if we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and that the truth is not in us But he lets us understand in the following verse That if we confess our sins he is Faithful and Just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness We must not here think that this Confession is to be without contrition and repenting of the evil confessed For if it is our Confession will avail us nothing for the Lord will not hear it to cleanse us from our iniquity And St. John in his whole Epistle makes it evident he had no such meaning for them to confess their sins and not amend their lives as the 4. v. in the 2d Chapter of the Epistle of John He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a lier and the truth is not in him 5. But whosoever keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked And he saith in 3. c. at 7. and 8. v. Beloved let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God for God is love 9. In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live through him Now Love is the great Commandment both of the Old and New Testament And Love is placed in the fore-front of all the Graces as in Cor. 13.1 Where
they that Seek him shall find him if they search for him with the whole heart Christ saith VVhosoever will let him come And tho we can do nothing without Gods assistance for in him we live moâ—e have our being it is he that hath laid the Spiritual meat before us Hosea 11.4 whereby to guide our feet into the way of peace hath promised that whilst they 〈◊〉 the way he will be with them And the Prodigal that knew that he had wandered from his fathers House first lookt home before his father lookt on him and tho God may some times go out of his ordinary way of working and pluck as it were a brand out of the burning yet he no longer securely stands then he is found in his obedience for it is those that will fall under the condemnation that will not choose the fear of the Lord Prov 1.29 but for those that thro long continuance in sin have seared their Conscience whereby they become left of God to a stupid sense it is such cannot learn to do well no more then the Ethiopian can change his Skin c. but whilst we have a sense to see the evil inclinations which our natures are prone to we may continually pray Lord turn thou us and we shall be turned And if man does his endeavour God will never be wanting to such And if we resist the devil he will flee from us And if we draw nigh to God he will draw nigh to us James 4.7,8 But whereas the Lord saith No man can come to me except the Father draw him And the drawings of God are the tenders of his Grace with the good motions of his Spirit and checks of Conscience the which the old World and Israel had till they resisted for which they were condemned Gen. 6.3 Acts 7.51 And whereas the Lord saith Except a Man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven This was spoken to Nicodemus who had embraced this present World and therefore came to Jesus by Night as being ashamed to own him and such are to be born again or brought off from the World or they cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven as is more fully proved in the book where the Faith of Abraham is fully explained and also there in is made appear what is meant by the Wind blowing where it listeth and likewise therein is shewed Who they are that are not under the condemning power of the Law for their past sins Rom. 3.25 but under Grace that they are such as will and do walk in Newness of Life and if we will enter into Life we must keep the Commandments Mat. 19.17 For all are his servants to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of Obedience unto Righteousness Rom. 6 16. And whereas it is said It is not for the works of Righteousness that we have done but of his Mercy he saved 〈◊〉 This was spoken of the Elect who wâ—… then brought out of Idolatry and has no reference to us as is proved XXII Whereas the Apostle said Ye are saved by Grace not of works that is Man could not perform good works to that perfection as to become justified by them without the Merits of Christ and therefore saved by Grace but there is none that live in the performance of good works but shall be rewarded according to their works Rev. 22.12 The Eternal Life that is now in this time given the Believer excepting the very elect which is the standing witness is no otherwise given then it was to Adam and Eve in Paradise for had they never sinned they should never have dyed so the true Believer that believes salvation is to be had in the way of his obedience according to the word of the Lord he shall never be cast off but the Man that Departs from the Lord by wilful committing Iniquity he is no longer a Believer according to the Gospel as is proved XXIII Whereas the Lord said when he sent his Disciples forth to preach the Gospel to all the World He that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16.15,16,17 That is He that believeth the Doctrine that he sent them forth to Teach and the Mercy and Condemnation was to them that accordingly Believed or refused Believing the same as not to obey the truth Mat. 28.19,20 For the Lord speaks by the Law and Gospel but to them that hears it as proved But whereas Christ said He that Believeth not is condemned already This the Lord spake to the Jews who had heard him but believed not and therefore were condemned and thereby it also sheweth that more of Israel might have been saved had they been willing to take hold of the offered Mercy I here gather so many heads together that thro' the misinterpretation of the Scriptures Satan might not beguile so many of their Souls for if we take a text of Scripture as it stands alone without weighing how it is spoken and what the whole scope of the Scripture tends to we may raise as falce Doctrine as God is True O God who of thy great Mercy hath made thy word plain in those things we have been mistaken in give more of thy Assisting Grace for to improve the knowledge of the Truth These things which are here but hinted with the other disputable places and also the signs of the Times with the near approach of the coming of the Lord are now fully explained and proved in about four small Treatises The Books contain so many several heads that I have not here room to incert them but by them the word is so plain that none need any longer remain in mistakes that are willing to understand the Truth I shall only here mention the chief Title of each Book First The Explaination of the Faith of Abraham Price bound 10. d. bound up with the Christian Belief which has the Eexplanation of the Trinity Price 1 s. 2 d. The signs of the times and coming of the Lord bound up with the Prophesie of Moses that foretold the firing of the Mountains Price bound 10 d. all three bound up togather Price 1 s. 6 d. The book that Proveth there Worlds and three Foundations with the Tree of knowledge of good and evil Price bound 1 s. And are to be Sold at the places before mentioned in the Title The book of the Figurative Speeches is not yet out My aim is at the good of Souls and therefore that they that understand not the word may be convinced of the Truth I Refer my Books to the Lord Bishops who I believe are men of that integrity that will not oppose the Truth to whom I shall by Gods assistance give further satisfaction if required and when God had inlightned my understanding in his word I did dare do no other then leave and venture the little concern I had and come above a Hundred Miles to acquaint the Nation what God is a going about to do this being the little time that is given the Christianâ— to prepare God make this Nation a Light to Christian 〈◊〉 FINIS