written Rejoye thou barren that bearest not and cry thou that travellest not for the desolate hath many more children then she that hath an busband Now we brethren saith he as Isaac was are the children of the promise But as then he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit even so it is now Neverthelesse saith the Scripture Cast out the Bond-woman and her son for the son of the Bond-woman shall not be Heire with the son of the Free-woman And then he concludes in the last verse So then Brethren we are not children of the Bond-woman but of the Free We that is those who believe are not now tyed unto Ceremonies nor live in the forme and shaddow of the Heavenly things or in bondage to external and worldly rudiments resting in them Rom. 2.28 29. as the outward Jew did for he is not a Jew that is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart and of the spirit and not that of the Letter And this kinde of doctrine the Iew and he that Idolizeth his outward formes could not endure but as then so now this divine teaching and the Teachers thereof could never be endured but have been persecuted in all ages and most of all by these who have pretended most strictly to worship God according to the rule of his word these ever had and ever will have a contrariety thereunto the children of the Bond-woman are alwayes at enmity and have a continual hatred against the children of the Free-woman And these are Hagar as the Apostle there saith in verse 25. Gal. 4.25 For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to Ierusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children if men go no farther but here stick in shaddowes and formes and the outward worship of that at Ierusalem though it be never so glittering and glorious yet all this is but mount Sinai and gendreth to Bondage But saith our Saviour John 4.21 The houre commeth and now is that enither in Ierusalem nor in this mâ—untaine shall men worship the Father but the true worshippers shall worship him in spirit and truth These two mountaines alwayes stand in opposition one to another because the one is to bring men into Bondage and the other is still labouring to set men free The one kinde of worshippers are altogether busied and exercised and are very zealous for worldly Ordinances and external worships duties and formes an conclude that those who submit and take them up zealously and constantly are the true worshippers and exclude all other Now the other worshippers who worship the Father in spirit and truth they see and bear witnesse against these outward formes as rested in as generally all the other worshippers do whatever they say and their great Zeal for them is because they derive suck and draw life from the exercise of them But the other know there is no power no life no excellency in them neither could they any longer live or depend upon them but they see that their life power righteousnesse freedome is in those things which are from heaven heavenly in the spirit 1 Cor. 15.48 not in the letter they receive their nourishment and influence from the Heavenly Ierusalem not from the outward and external not from carnal Ordinances as the Apostle calls them but they suck the brest of the true mother whose milk is spirit and life And here they live and here they feast and here they dwell and have not their life nor content nor their abode with the Bond-woman which in them is cast out with her children for she can never inherit the blessing nor the life nor the power nor the liberty but is with all her children alwayes in Bondage And the Apostle appeales to all Believers their own experience Gal. 3.2 Did ye ever receive the promise by the workes of the Law that is by whatever man as man could do with all his learning power strivings acquirings c. but only by the hearing of Fath So that you may see from thesr and many other arguments the Apostles drawes this exhortation by way of conclusion in the verse now read Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free and be not intangled againe with the yoake of Bondage Some of the Galathians had seen and felt this true liberty which he had cleared out to them and they had lived in it and enjoyed it But some false Apostles crept in after his departure and told them they must still hold the formes of the Law Heb. 9.10 and they must be circumcized and observe outward and carnal Ordinances Now the Apostle very earnestly presseth them to stand fast in their liberty received and not to suffer themselves to be intangled with those yoakes of bondage for Christ is their liberty and Christ alone is their life and their freedome their peace their joy their salvation and herein to stand against all those who would set up any thing with him and upon that account the Apostle calls them carnal Ordinances though appointed by the Lord himselfe And 't is a wonder the men of the Letter which stand so much for outward formes do not cry out BLASPHEMY and HERESY All those other things being included in naming Circumcision because that was the most high absolute and unquestionable Ordinance ordained by God himselfe to Abraham and which none could remove or abolish but the Son himselfe the Heire himselfe who being come to Age must inherit and take possession of his own of his Inheritance Kingdom and Glory And shall any servant resist and keep out THE LORD Heb. 1.12 Matth. 3.3 The Heire of all things and all these things say Prepare ye the way of the Lord for whom all things were made and created and all other excellencies and glories whatsoever are but to Vsher in this great and mighty King and shall any Harbinger or servant say he will not or he must not remove or be so impudent to say that the inheritance is his No sayes the Apostle I testifie to every man and I Paul say unto you if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing and ye are under the Law Gal. 5.3 4 and under bondage and he is a debtor to do the whole Law and Christ is become of none offect and ye are fallen from grace This is that which so much moved the Apostle that they being once set free had tasted of the liberty which came by Jesus Christ that they should be againe intangled with the yoake of bondage That they who had received the new teaching and Christ to be the Teacher should now hearken to false teachers Ibid. 3.3 and having begun in the spirit should once think to be made perfect by the flesh as if Christ were not enough but they must joyne with
issue ever come to Christ as long as she had any thing left neither doth any of the sons of men return to him spiritually Mar. 5.26 till they are poor empty lost naked miserable and undone And therefore though they say they are looking for this One and onely Deliverer and talk much of him yet all their waies and practices declare the contrary And this true Deliverer is He that they speak against and oppose And as he was reproached hated spit upon and crucified by the Jews so is he in and by these men for the true Christ and the true Messiah is alwaies abused slandered crucified by the world Me it hates alwaies and therefore it hateth you even all those that hold him forth in the spirit John 7.7 c. 15.20 it cannot but hate and persecute because they testifie that all the deeds thereof are evil And why the reason is because he brings light with him and that discovers their darkness their lyes their Hypocrisy because he testifies that their goodly deeds are evil and upon this account all that know not the life of Christ in experience do really hate it and persecute it for when man hath built up to himselfe much glory riches strength wisedom and great attainments now for Jesus Christ to come and strip him and take away all his beautiful garments Ezek. 26.16 and all his glory and strength here now if man cannot be content to submit and lose all for Christ then he bussles and strives to keep up his glory to keep on his glorious garments that neither men nor himselfe may see his nakedness impurity deformity ungodliness hypocrisy and lyes T is true thou sayest in words Jesus Christ is thy only Deliverer and thou art seeking after him if so why seekest thou then the living among the dead Luk. 24.5 thinking to find Christ in dead forms and dead duties and ordinances as thou callest them and thinkst that they wil deliver and give life and when thou hast done them with some spirit and quickness here is thy comfort and thy joy and so thou settest up thy self and thy own doings for thy Saviour Helper Deliverer But why seek ye Christ and the true Deliverer without your selves for what 's all the Deliverers and Christs in the world if if he be not a Saviour in thee and a Deliverer in thee Why seek ye Christ at Jerusalem and externally and say if I do but beleeve in that person that there lived and died it is enough though I never find him a Saviour in me and to me The time is comming when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor at Ierusalem worship the Father John 4.21 c. for the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him for God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth Now for men to come in the name of Christ and say loe here and loe there and say he is in this form and the other mountain in this ordinance and tother dipping in this manner and in the other way of breaking of bread and the like and they think by using these external things to imitate Jesus Christ and to give the holy spirit and to get grace and they come preaching in his name and in his name have done many great works Luk. 13.27 but saith Christ I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity They say also they are Christs Messengers and Ambassadours and that he hath sent them forth and yet Christ hath not furnished them for their work but only being furnished from the Letter and by reading mens Labours they come forth Audaciously and say we are the Messengers of Christ when as the spirit of Christ never furnished them Ezek. 13.3 yet they say Thus saith the Lord and have seen nothing they have had no vision but say what others say and so prophesie they know not what And farther for all they say Christ sends them yet they dare not trust him not so much as for external maintenance but they must have their bag and their wallet Luk. 10.4 their scrip and their maintenance or else they will not do their work They dare not commit themselves to the wisdom and care of him whom they say sent them But in vain came these men out in the name of Christ and bring forth such fruits who can beleeve them or regard them or honour them comming forth in this manner furely none that have the power of truth and experience of the work of Christ in them and that really know him to be the true and only deliverer But those who are blind as themselvs are blind may indeed be led by them But my sheep know my voice John 10.4 5. and the voice of a stranger they will not follow those who have experience of Christ must see a proof of Christ in them 2 Cor. 13.3 or else they cannot follow them They know if Christ send them he hath spoken in them and that they have heard the word at his mouth and he hath preached in their souls first and discovered himself to be A Deliverer to them Ibid. c. 3.6 or else they bring but the voice of strangers and are but Ministers of the Letter and not of the Spirit And let the sons of men run up and down from this fellowship to the other from Ordinance to Ordinance and from Baptism to Baptism from breaking bread here and there yet is this nothing so long as thy heart is dead still and lies under the power of lust and corruption and is in bonds and fetters still for except Christ be thy Deliverer except he appear pear in thee except this root of David spring up in thee Rev. 5.5 except the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah arise in thee all thou canst do and all thou canst run unto cannot save thee nothing else in Heaven or Earth ever can save help or Deliver thee But if may be this Doctriue may seem harsh to some Obj. and they may Object and say What then shall I sit still shall I do nothing shall I not use the means shall I not prepare and fit my selfe for deliverance Consider I pray you when ye have done what you can Answ what is it you do do or what is it man can do to save or deliver himself is not man dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2.1 and can any thing raise the dead but the voice of Christ and is there any good thing can be done by them till Christ work it is not all their works without him sin or can there be any thing properly called a means or an ordinance but only Him when men have reformed themselves and their paths and trimmed their way to seek love Jer. 2.33 they have but gone astray in all this and gone after their own lovers and sought themselves in all they
Pharisees hearing of this they knew he spake of them and being very much offended that he so much reproached them and so much laid them open and took away their glory estimation and high esteem with the people hereupon I say they became greatly bitterly and maliciously offended with him and the Disciples hearing and observing of it they being somewhat troubled in themselves as not seeing so much into them as he did they come to him and tell him Master knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying Vers 12 Now our Saviour presently makes them this answer Every plant which my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up As if he should say t is true generally all men take the Scribes and Pharisees and it may be you your selves have taken them to be men of great holiness and purity and to be very strict in their lives and indeed they seem to be men of great learning and to be very consciencious and zealous Teachers of the Truth But I would not have you so deceived true Religion stands not in outsides in observing of rites and cerementes in washing of cups and platters and observing outward Ordinances But know these men are no other but Hypocrits and Dissemblers and well did Esaiah Prophesie of them Esa 29.14 saying This people draw nigh unto me with their mouthes and honour me with their lips but their heart is removed far from me Therefore though they be offended at my speech yet be not you offended let them alone they be blind leaders of the blind And if the blinde lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch And for all their great learning and great shews of zeale and knowledge in the Letter yet Christ saw their inside how there was nothing but impurity blackness and ignorance And indeed men may have and attaine to much strictnesse therein and yet have no saving knowledge of God in the spirit nor of the truth as it is in Jesus Now saith Christ Let them alone Eph 4.21 I know they have a high opinion of themselves and they would by no means lose their glory in the esteem of others but be you not troubled Let them alone they are blind though they will not see it and both the leaders and the led shall both fall together Now upon this account Christ using such cutting cauterizing words can any wonder that they should be offended I and deeply offended Hereupon it is that the Children of the Letter and of the Bond-woman alwayes hate and persecute the Children of the Mystery and the Free-woman Gal. 4.29 As the Children of the New Jerusalem are Heavenly Divine and Spiritual like their Mother for they are born of the Second Adam which is the Lord from Heaven and they bear the very Image of the Heavenly And as is the Heavenly such are they that are Heavenly And as is the Earthy such are they that are Earthy 1 Cor. 15.47 c. They are still carried out very zealously to outward observations and carnall things And if any shall in the least touch them in them they are presently offended raging and mad for ye touch their Absolom their very lives The flesh alwayes lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Gal. 5.17 for these are directly contrary the one unto the other these two Principles are so directly opposite and contrary one to an other that they can never agree but ever were and shall be at enmity never to be reconciled These Pharisees are alwayes very much offended with the neglect ofo smal matters and of things indifferent which either the doing or leaving undone is no sign of sincerity or insincerity but they can neglect the weighty matters of the Law themselves and suffer others to do so and never be offended As here in the second verse of this chapter the Scribes and Pharisees which were of Jerusalem that is they were the chief Preachers of the Nation because they were Preachers at the Chief and Metropolitan City JERVSALEM Yet these Great and Learned and Sage DIVINES as they were esteemed come to Christ And what was the great businesse they had to offer to him Why do thy Disciples transgresse the tradition of the Elders Mat. 15.2 for they wash not their hands when they eat bread Jesus Christ answers them very pertinen tly Why do you transgresse the Commandement of God by your traditions They were more strict in observing the traditions of their Church and of Men then of the Commandements of God and the weighty matters of the Law they were careful in observing washings and constant in outward forms of worship and times of prayer and the like but never minded what was in their hearts as Evil thoughts Murders Adulteries Fornications Vers 19 Thefts Lyes Malice Falsewitnesse Blasphemies verse 19. These things they neglected and passed by as smal matters they could hate the truth and bely the truth and persecute the true Professours thereof even to the death But they could not endure any should speak a word against their formal and outward worships they could neglect releiving their Father and Mother Vers 5 and shewing love to others and with them this was nothing so they did but bring a small gift to the Temple and call it CORBAN this should excuse them and cut off all other Charity or whatever others might be profitted by them Now Christ throughly discovering their Hypocrisie in their shewing great care of the outside and of that which was obvious and apparent to the sight of men but they had litle or none of their heart and inside upon which the Allseeing eye of God was fixed therefore he applyes to them the words of the Prophet Esay and tells them that they were the men He spake of when he said These people draw nigh to me with their mouthes Esa 29.14 and honour me with their lips but their hearts are far from me For these are not the things God looks at or regards and therefore all their worships and all their washings and all their prayings and all their conformity to these things were all in vain and this was no Religion at all nor was no more accepted then the offering up of swines blood or the cutting of a dogs neck Esa 66.3 and he that sacrificed as if he were a murtherer and he that offered incense as if he blessed an Idol They were with him no better then Murtherers and Idolaters for all their fine forms although they were never so curious and exact about them neatified carved or contrived with never so much wisdome yet if they were done meerly by the art wisdom power industry of man and not by the wisdom and hand of Jesus Christ in them all was nothing and they were in all their prayers and duties no other but as sounding Brass and as tinkling Cymbal That which defiles man is not any thing without him but that evil and sinne which is
before the God of the whole Earth and their dead bodies shal lie in the streets of the Great City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified which cannot be meant litterally for Christ in the flesh was not crucified in Sodom nor Egypt But all these are spiritually to be understood and they are GREAT Mysteries which the world hath not been acquainted with But hath generally received a Notion of God-man dying at Jerusalem And indeed they have contented themselves with a shadow of the truth and little or nothing else there have been very few that have seen beyond the shadow nor lookt beyond the vail they have not seen IMMANVEL in themselves and that he dwells in us not among us as your litteral men to justifie their Litteral and External knowledge have translated the word because they saw no farther But t is properly God in us Wherever Christ is he brings a new birth works a change upon the whole man this did not nor does Christ do by any of his actions that he did at Jerusalem neither by his holy life nor his meritorious death For was ever any of the sons of men conformed to him by that act T is true his death was infinitly meritorious and one act in him as being God equal with his Father Phill 2.16 was a sufficient sacrifice and attonement to pacifie the infinite wrath of God But yet know that Jesus Christ is not only a Sacrifice for an hour or two only for the time he suffered in the flesh under Pontius Pilat but He is that One Eternal everlasting Sacrifice which is continually offered up to the Eternal Father in the behalf of all the Elect. And also we grant that by that Act the Eternal purpose and decree of God was fulfilled in bringing forth the true IMMANVEL God and Man in One person who should more fully reveal the Father and in revealing the Father reveal himself for t is said Of Herod and Pontius Pilat Acts. 2.23 Acts 2.23 Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledg of God by wicked hands have crucified and slain But by his comming in the flesh and by his holy life and cruel suffering and death or by his external presence or company or eating and drinking with him or handling or touching him or external beleeving on him by nothing of this nature was any good done spiritually upon the souls of men nor had any one his nature changed or regenerated no no But the true comming of the MESSIAH and the fulfilling of all the promises concerning him was by being made IMMANVEL to us and being brought forth in us this is the Life and Mystery of the Word and of Christ his being made flesh and his true comming in the flesh and he that denies Christ thus come in the flesh the same is ANTICHRIST 1 Joh. 2.22 although he do acknowledge the external comming and dying of Jesus Christ at Ierusalem If he be not come in thy heart he is not yet come asto thee And there is no difference between thee and the external Jew for thou never yet confessedst him by receiving him for he is not a Iew which is one outwardly that is that onely makes a profession of God but circumcision is that of the Heart Wherfore saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.3 1 Cor. 12 3 I give you to understand that no man speaking by the spirit of God calleth Iesus Accursed And that no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost This my Brethren is not done by an outward profession and conformity but when Christ is in us made Lord and King and that nothing within man nor nothing without him sits above Christ nor is esteemed comparable to him This man and no other hath acknowledged Christ come in the flesh and this man only saith that Iesus is the Lord otherwise he is Antichrist and calleth Jesus accursed and hath with the Jewes scourged disdained hated him spit at him 1 Cor. 12.3 and crucified him for there is no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the spirit of the Lord. But all that are Iews doe to this day crucify the Lord of Life and say we will not that this man shall rule over us and cry out away with him and release unto us Barabbas but let Iesus be crucified John 8.39 And this is the Language of all the World except those who have received him and they can answer with Peter when all others are ignorant of him But whom say yet that I am Thou art Iesus the son of the living God Verely those that can thus say experimentally of them we may say Verily verily flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee Mat. 16.17 but the Heavenly Father for this is that truth which never any man could teach but it is Heavenly and Spiritual And herein lies the Spirit and the Mystery which is hid from ages but revealed unto us only by the Spirit But all outward things though they were really done yet they are typical and representations still in all ages more and more lively brought forth and more near and more like unto the Truth And when ever Christ came spiritually and was received to them he was come and was the MESSIAH but all others were ignorant of him and therefore crucified him and therefore saith Peter I wot that through ignorance ye did it as did also your Rulers for had they known him Act. 3.17 they would not have crucified the Lord of Life Where Christ is thus come there it may be said indeed IT IS FINISHED but where he is come but externally it may well be said It is not finished for Christ is the Author the End and the finisher of faith and when he is come then it is accomplished compleated And it is FINISHED for there is nothing beyond him Heb. 12.2 nothing better then him nothing higher nor brighter nothing more glorious nor more excellent nor more full then Him Beloved let no man be offended at these things and think that we go about to reproach or vilifie any thing done by Jesus Christ who in all he did fulfilled his Fathers will and all things done by him or unto him were done by the Determinate Counsel and foreknowledge of God But all that we labour to do Acts 4.28 is more to exalt and magnifie the Truth and the Mystery of the Gospel of which so many though professing it are altogether ignorant of it and set up Idols in stead of God and worship shadows and indeed are to them no more but Fancies and Images for the Substance and in that case I know none doth more reproach and vilify Christ in the flesh then they though they pretend so much for him for himselfe often testifies The flesh profiteth not it is the spirit giveth life Joh. 6.63 not those that eat a little Bread or sup a little Wine that
The Judgement Set AND The BOOKES Opened RELIGION TRIED whether it be of GOD or of Men. The Lord cometh to visit his Own For the time is come that Judgement must begin at the House of God To separate The Sheep from the Goats and The Precious from the Vile And to discover the Blasphemy of those that say They are Apostles Teachers Alive Rich Jewes but are Found Lyars Deceivers Dead Poore blind naked The Synagogue of Satan In severall Sermons at Alhallows Lumbard-street By JOHN WEBSTER A servant of Christ and his Church Micah 3.5 c. Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets that make my people erre that bite with their teeth and cry peace and he that putteth not into their mouths they prepare war against him Therefore night shall be upon them that they shall not have A vision c. The Sun shall goe down over the prophets and the Day shall be dark Their Seers shall be ashamed and the Deviners confounded yea they shall All cover their lips for there is no answer of God LONDON Printed for R. Hartford at the Bible and States-Arms in little Brittain and N. Brooks at the Angel in Cornhil 1654. To All those Dear and Pretious Soules that have been Hearers and are in any measure partakers of the power of those Truths delivered in these following Discourses Deare Friends IT was for your sakes that the good pleasure of the Heavenly Father who maketh all things work together for the benefit of those that love him Rom. 8.28 who are called according to his purpose carried me forth and made use of me who am less then a worm and most weak in my selfe yet strengthened through his Almighty power to manifest these things unto you And it was for your sakes that the goodnesse of that Father of all mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 and God of all consolation kept me so long to sojourn amongst you for I can truly say that what I am or have been unto you in the way of Christ it was his good pleasure and grace that made me so for the mutual comfort both of you and me for I cannot do any thing against the truth but for the truth for I am not able to think or say any thing as of my self 2. Cor. 3.5 but my sufficiency is of God and I am able to do all things yet no otherwise but through Christ who strengthens me Phil. 4.13 And therefore it is unto you that I direct and be queath these insuing Discourses who have been Ear-witnesses unto what God gave me a door of utterance to deliver amongst you And I hope in the Lord Jesus Christ that they are not onely written in your papers or table-books but in the fleshly Tables of your Hearts 2 Cor. 3.3 not with the hand of man but with the finger of God And being requested that they might be made publick the Lord led me unto a willingnesse thereunto for these Reasons I shall now declare 1. That you whom God in some measure hath endued with the spirit of discerning and made you to heare the voice of Christ and not the voice of strangers Joh. 10.3 4.5 may judge and beare witness out of what principle these things are spoken whether they proceed from that wisdom which is from above Jam. 3.15.17 that is first pure then peaceable or from that which is from beneath which is earthly sensual and devilish Mat. 11.19 for wisedome is only justified of her Children and of no others for it is Christ in you the hope of glorie who is that quickning spirit Col. 1.27 or spiritual man that judgeth all things 1 Cor. 2.15 yet he himself is judged of none 2. That those who are alienated from the life of Christ Eph. 4.18 through that ignorance that is in them and are The JEW in the Mysterie that alwaies resists the Holy Ghost and as their Fathers did so do they Act. 8.54 55 56 57. may know that though they gnash upon the Saints of God with their teeth cry out with a loud voice stop their ears run upon them with one accord cast them out of the City and stone them yet do those holy ones of God look up steadfastly into Heaven and see and behold the glory of God the Heavens opened and Jesus standing on the right hand of God and do freely cry aloud unto the Lord that he may not lay this sin to their charge 3. That those poor creatures who are wise in their own eyes and think they know someting Pro. 3.7 when they know nothing as they ought to know may behold and see that the stone which is rejected and set at naught by those who think and call themselves Master-builders and would have others to think also so of them Mat. 21.42 is becom'd the head stone in the corner and it is the Lords doing though wonderful in the eyes of men 4. That those who have spoken evil of these Truths accounting them as blaspemous erroneous and heretical may know that according to that way which they call Heresie Act. 24.14 I worship the God of my Fathers And if there be any thing in these Discourses that the wisdom learning or reason of men can overthrow then it is not of God for Mat. 15.13 every plant that the Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out but what is of him must stand And therefore if the wisdom of the Serpent hath any thing to say against any thing herein conteined let it be brought forth for I hope and know that the Lord in me and in all his will defend his own truth so that the gates of Hell shall not be able to prevaile against it Mat. 16.16 and I can truly say the Lord is on my side I will not feare what man can do unto me 5. That the Lord alone may be magnified who hath carried forth my spirit to bear witnesse against all unrighteousnesse of men who withhold the truth of God in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 and that without respect of persons and especially against all those Churches Worships Professions Confessions Opinions Covenants Gatherings Traditions of men observations of Times Idol-Pastors Hirelings false Teachers Forms and such like which are made appointed constituted ordained set up and practiced by men by the carnal wisdom learning wit reason and policy of the world Eph. 4.4 5 6. For I witness One body and One spirit even as I am called in one hope of my calling one Lord One Faith one Baptisme Heb 8.7 one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in all And this is the Tabernacle that God hath pitched and not man in which Temple all the Saints are living stones 1 Cor. 3.9 are Gods building Gods workmanship and are all gathered into this body by the spirit and power of God and not by man for by one spirit they are all baptized into one body
is that it may be removed from all people that others may see that which he sees and enjoy that which he enjoyes that Christ may be a mountain to them as he is to him a rock to them as he is to him a feast to them as he is to him And they can say truely and name this mountaine Jehovah-jireh onely in the mount of the Lord can this be seen Abraham could not sacrifice his Son till he came up into this mount once come in to this mountain then the soule can part with all things for the love of Christ nothing is so dear as Christ And this is the conclusion wrought by the Spirit in Abraham Jehovah-jireh saith he in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen there is no seeing any of these things nor there is no true feasting till we come into this mount of the Lord. What was that going up of Abraham to the mount Moriah think you In the truth of it it was no other thing but this his going up from himself and out of himself forsaking all things for this one thing and comming up to this mountain of the Lod where the Lord alone was all in all Beloved know this for truth there is no wisdome no rightousnesse no strength c. nowhere else but here In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen and nowhere else There is no self-denial no true repentance no conquering of the least sin no true peace no joy no love no wisdom but onely in this mount whatever men pretend that they are wise or holy and the like 't is all but deceit and a delusion till we come up to the Mount till this Vaile be removed we can never bind the strong man we can never cut off our right hands or pul out our right eye til then Matth. 29 30. we can never forsake our selvs we can never deny our own power wisdome and holinesse Here now is this mountain of strength here it was that Abraham staggered not through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God Rom. 4.17.20 Here he 〈◊〉 and was fully perswaded that he that had promised was able to performe that though Isaac were sacrificed yet God was he who could quicken the dead and calleth things which are not as though they were Herein was Abraham the father of the faithful and Isaac the seed of many Nations and all the faithful are his seed in this And his going up to the Mountain is no other but what is done by all the faithful that litteral mountain was not the truth but onely the figure of this strong mountain Jesus Christ he is that mountain spoken of Esai 2.2 called there the mountain of the Lords house Esa 2.2 which shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the Hills and all Nations shall flow unto it Jesus Christ is that mountain who is unalterable unmovable unchangable never to be shaken nor never to be removed and to be established on the top of all mountaines above all the mountaines of man the mountaines of mans wisdome of mans righteousnesse which were esteemed by men never so high never so strong yet this mountain shall overtop them all and be established above all Beloved none come to know these things but those in whom they are wrought in whom the Vaile of the covering is removed men may pretend to these things and be very confident they enjoy them when indeed they are under the Covering to this very day This is that stone also that Daniel speaks of Dan. 2. which was cut out of the mountain without hands which smote the Image which was so terrible in the form thereof Dan. 2. he head being of fine Gold his brest and armes of Silver his belly and thighs of Brass his legs of Iron and his feet part Iron and part clay Now the stone cut out without hands smote this terrible Image and it self became a great mountain V. 25. and filled the whole earth However this may be applicable as by some it is to the outward Monarchyes in the world one succeeding and overcomming another yet all those things are but figures of the truth for those things are not done without hands but the truth is done in spirit whatever it is that men set up to shelter themselves under any form any religion to defend themselves from the wrath of God from the guilt of sin from seeing themselves odious with all their righteousnes and rags All things of that nature are Images and are such Images and so Terrible that no man is able to break them to peices 't is only The Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands can bring them down or break them to peices These Images are diverse and of several tempers and conditions some are of Clay that is some are of low rudiments poor and mean things that Men set up and rely upon and shelter themselves with all their good meanings and good hopes and the like and these may be esteemed but as the feet of this Image others goe higher and they depend up on things of more worth and strength that seem to be made of Iron they cloath themselves with moral vertues and put confidence in them and these they thinke will defend and save them But there are some that goe higher then all these and they pretend to cloath themselves with the garments of Jesus Christ himselfe and the graces of the Spirit and in these they glory and this glisters like Gold but it is not Gold and they seem to have faith but have not faith and love but 't is not love and patience but t is not patience c. And they are no other but Images and Idols upon which many men professing Religion and under the strictest formes and fellowships rely and shelter themselves under and think these will defend and protect them from hell and destruction and Gods wrath these things cover them and cover the wickednesse of their hearts that they cannot see themselves how vile they are how infinitly wicked in the sight of God Esay 30.1 these cover themselves with a covering but not with the Lords spirit Wo be to all such for these poor souls do most pitifully and miserably delude themselves these instead of putting on the rich and glorious robe of Christs righteousnesse doe cloath themselves with the stinking loathsome abominable and divelish righteousnesse of man I and they preferre it before the excellency of the Lord Jesus Christ and of these Christ himselfe saith verily such can never enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but Publicans and Harlots and the vilest of sinners shall enter into the Kingdome Matth. 21.31 when they shall be shut out For these are those that have put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face as the Lord saith by Ezekiel and have set up their Idols in their heart Ezek. 7.19 14.4 c. and yet
reform my life and the like sayes man and then these promises are mine The Jewes especially the Pharisees were ever expert and nimble at this who more strict according to Gods own rule who more searched after every Iota of the Law and as farre as they were convinced strived after conformity herein lay the top of their Religion And here they had builded up Babel Now when Christ comes and strips them of their righteousness and pulls down their Babel and by his Doctrine layes them open to the world and makes them appear as they are to be open Sepulchres dissembling Hypocrits Mat. 23.7 to be but pretenders to righteousnesse when they have none at all but to make Religion a cloak to devour Widows houses and to serve their own turns to make for their entertainment with the world Christ now He opening these filthy Sepulchers he shews what they were within how fair and beautiful and holy soever they seemed to be without This made them so mad as to persecute him even to death nothing would serve them but his blood and the cruellest death was too good for him yet these were men of no low principles as men think they were the gravest the soberest the wisest the learnedest the strictest observers of the Law and the teachers of it to others Men highest in esteem the strictest for worship according to the pattern they feared God as they and generally all men thought and loved their neighbour and did righteous theings to men and herein was their glory Now some among us go farther then all this they strive to walk according to the rule and wherein they come short they have a Mediatour and an Intercessour and that is Jesus Christ who died at Jerusalem whom the Jewes would not acknowledge but crucified and they will repent and beleeve in him And now Beloved these have builded up Babel higher then the other for alas this is nothing but wearing a garment of linsey-woolsey Levit. 19.19 Mat. 9.16 this is nothing but sewing a new peice into an old garment and making the rent worse this is but putting new wine into old bottels and the bottels are broken and both bottels and wine as to these men utterly lost They think man must do and man must teach and man must inform and see not that Jesus Christ is the only Teacher the only Master the only Guide they must find out and they must study and they must collect and they must gather here a flower and there a flower and this they present to the people as a precious posie whereof they themselves in their own experience know nothing at all but they have sought it out by their learning and stole it out of other mens labours Luk. 10.2 Are these think you Prophets and Labourers of the Lord of the Harvests sending No No all these things must be lost esteemed as dirt and dung you know what Christ sayes Luk. 5.37 put new wine into new bottels and then both are preserved If all that we do be any thing but what Christ does in us If all we teach be not Christ his teachings in us If all our works be not from the new man born of God which cannot sin if all be not the works of Christ in us whatever it be that man erects and sets up to direct or guide him but onely the wisdom from above whatever it is that strengthens him but the power from on high all must be pulled down and scattered Mat. 15. all made BABEL Every plant that the Father hath not planted must be rooted up if it be not wrought and acted by his Spirit in us it cannot stand When men think by their power and wisedome and by their Authority to act for God and they can propagate the Gospel and establish truth and settle Religion and they can make an uniformity which all ought to submit to whereto doth all this tend but that man should take upon him the work and soveraignty of the Almighty and this is the plaine English God is not wise enough nor powerful enough nor Allsufficient enough to erect the Kingdome of his Sonne Luk. 10.2 but we must do something and we will contrive and we will send forth Labourers as wee shall think meet and what we judge to be truth and wisedome and holinesse that and no other shall be established What 's all this but to establish the wisdom of man and the power of man nay indeed the weakness and ignorance and the blasphemy of men above the strength wisedom righteousness and alsufficiency of the eternal God What 's this but charging of God with weakness and insufficiency and ascribing that to man which alone is due to God Is this any other then to make the weapons of our warfare strong in man 2 Cor. 10.4 and in the power of his might Now the blessed work of God is to pull down this Babel built by the sons of men oh sayes man Le ts have the wisdome and power of the magistrate and let him shew himselfe strong for God and what he judgeth evil and sinne and schisme and heresie let that be rooted up and he will make the crooked things strait and he will undertake to make men religious and to reform their lives Luk. 3.5 What 's all this but to be wise in his own wisedome and confident in his own strength and holy in his own holinesse and that he alone is judge in the things of God What greater blasphemy can there be In stead of being strong in God and in the power of his might Eph. 6.10 they are mighty and strong in man and in themselves Now all these works also the Lord will ruin and destroy All this strong building he will make Babel CONFVSION all this Language will the Lord confound scatter and destroy Whatever it be which is of man or by man erected though pretending a service and a worship of God either found out ad invented by himselfe or else pretending a prescribed rule in the word for it and this done by the power and wisedome of man it is no other but a Babel and shall be made a City of Confusion And this the Lord will certainly doe and bring to passe in man either that both he and his works his wisdom righteousnesse power c. may be destroyed and confounded together that both himself and all his works may be burnt up together or else that his work shall be burnt and yet he may be saved yet so as by fire for this fire of the Lord shall try every mans work of what sort it is 1. Cor. 3 13. if the Lord in mercy descend and come down among the sonnes of men to burn up all their works their wisdome their strength and all things of this nature to strip man of all his abilities and righteousness and make him nothing in himselfe and abominable in his own sight this destruction of the flesh is that
know no Master no Father no Teacher no Leader nor no strength besides him Oh Beloved this is not to be done without the drawing of the Father or not but in a Fatherly way since he is the fountain of eternal love the Father or Fountain of love that hath made out his eternal Love himself in the similitude of flesh 2 Cor. 5.19 for God was in Christ saith the Text reconciling the world unto himself not imputing to them their trespasses It must be the love and good will of the Father made out to the soule that must call it and will draw it and cause it to come in to be at peace with him and be reconciled onely by his owne making out his love in Christ So I say this Eternal love that sent out Christ and that gives with Christ all good things it is the same eternal love and power Rom. 8.32 and everlasting goodness and good will of the Father that draws and brings the spirits of men unto Christ else they come not Draw them how is that with such a drawing as must be effectual As the Rain falleth not in vain but the earth bringeth forth fruit meet for them for whom it is appointed Heb. 6.7 So the eternal word and power of the Father made out through the flesh of Christ to the soul calls invites draws and works effectually and brings home the soul and this drawing of the Father is the eternal and everliving power of the Godhead or spirit that wonderfully draws the soules of men and when they are thus drawn they cannot but follow and being thus drawn by him this is the joy life wisdom and righteousness of the soule here it dwels rests recreates it selfe having lost its own life it lives and receives full satisfaction in the life and power and wisdom of Christ Then it is the office of the Son whom the Father hath sent to quicken it and raise it up at the last day and make it like himself even to sit together with him in heavenly places Eph. 2.6 The point I shall offer to your Considerations is this That the drawing of the Father only leads the souls of men unto Christ Doct. otherwise none can come unto him Before this truth can be beleived in us or be of benefit unto us it must become a truth of evidence and manifestation and experience in our hearts yet to witnesse this from the litteral word that this is truth you may be pleased to look upon a place or two yet they can make out nothing to us except the sam be made out by the eternal spirit in uâ— â—lse the word is but a dry tree a dead letter Cant. 1.4 The experience of the Spouse in Cant. 1.4 witnesseth the same draw me and we will run after thee her experience had known that the drawings and leadings of those cords and bands of love that are never to be broken in Jesus Christ the drawings of these bands of love only made her willing to go after that Husband Father and God of Loving-kindness and mercy otherwise man never comes nor is ever drawn but onely by these cords of his love Again the same is witnessed in Jer. 31 3. there he tells you because he had loved them Jer. 31.3 therefore with loving-kindness had he drawn them And in Hosea 11.4 he declares he had drawn them with the Cords of a man with the bands of love Hos 11.4 the soule finds it is onely the power of the Father the love of the Father that hath drawn him out of many waters as the Psalmist witnesses for David had found it so Psal 69. Ibid. 40.2 that he had delivered his soul out of the mire and horrible pit There is nothing but the eternal power of God that is able to draw a soul out of the deep and mierry pit in which it lies the drawing of the Father the power of the Father only draws men unto Christ otherwise they will not nor cannot come That this is so Divine truth witnesses and the experience of all Saints that men will not cannot do act or work nor come in unto Christ without this drawing First because Jesus Christ is not known and understood in the pretiousness excellency and value of him to the lost blind Reas 1 and carnal heart of man for man in this condition knows not the worth sweetness and excellency of him therefore man comes not unto Christ as David witnesses He looked down to see if any of the sons of men would seek after God Psal 14.2 but they are all gone out of the way there is none thath doth good no not one so I say man comes not to Jesus Christ because he is ignorant of that life glory righteousness and immortality that is laid up in him therefore the Apostle renders it as the reason why the Princes of the world Princes of learning and Princes in zeal and religion kild him why because saith he none of the Princes of this world knew him for had they known him they would not have crucified the Lord of life So I say the ground why our spirit comes not to Jesus Christ is that blindness and ignorance that is in the heart of man because he knows not the excellency and pretiousness of Christ As our Saviour said to the woman of Samaria John 4.10 Joh. 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and be would have given thee living water and so it was with Jerusalem Luk. 19.42 Reas 2. shee did not know the things belonging to her peace because they were bid from her eyes Again men cannot come to Jesus Christ because as he is the power of God and appears in the wisdom of God so he appears as folishness unto them and they disdaine him as a weak and mean thing as Isaiah faith in ch 53. v. 2. there is no form nor beauty in him why he should be desired Esa 53.2 as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form no comliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him he is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs and we hid our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not therefore the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 2.14 the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God because they are foolishness unto him and are spiritually discerned and saith he in 1 Cor. 1 23. we preach Christ crucified 1 Cor. 1.23 to the Jewes a stumbling block to the Greeks foolishnesse so that man doth not will not nor cannot come to Jesus Christ because the spirit of Christ appears a poore despicable thing 1 Cor. 3.10 Psal 118.22.23 1 Pet. 2.7 and the heart of man is set against him and even that stone that is to be the head stone of
the corner it is rejected and laid by even by those that account themselves Master builders and this is the Lords doing and it s marvailous in our eyes Again another ground why the souls of men come not to Christ Reas 3 is because the appearing of Christ in the spirit makes all the hidden things of mans heart lie open even that which man himselfe never saw nor never thought was in him and this man hates and will not abide to see nor behold that depth of pride that selfe-glorying hypocrisie c. and taht bottomlesse pit of misery mans eye never looked into himself into his own heart but in the day of the appearance of Jesus Christ all this is discovered and laid open therefore man would by no means come to Christ because the appearing of Christ discovers his sin and condemnation man loves his own life skin for skin and all that a man hath will be give for his life but he that loseth his life shall find it Job 2.4 Mat. 10.39 John 3.19 therefore our Saviour tells us plainly that this is the câ—ndemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather then light because their deeds are evil for he that doth evil hateth the light neither comes to the light lest his deeds should be made manifest that they are evil So here the ground is rendred why the Gospel is Condemnation to the sons of men the Gospel brings light but men resist it hate it Certain it is that the light of Christ is in every creature for he is the true light that enlightens every one that come into the world Joh. 1.9 Mat. 6.23 And if this light that is in us be darkness how great is that darkness Here is the condemnation of all the sons of men that they dare not stand in the light of Christ not being able to behold hell in their own hearts but labour by all means to cover it for the light of Christ would shew them that there is no thought action or duty or performance that ever they did that had any thing of purity in it but it was all sin Now man not daring to see his own misery therefore he runs from this light and gets himselfe behinde any tree He runs from the appearance of him that sits upon the Throne and so resolves he will not see his own misery death and condemnation Rev. 6.16 neither will he believe it though he be told it by an Angel from Heaven he will not come to the light lest thereby he may know or be convinced that his deeds are onely evil Againe this is the work of the Father to draw men unto Christ because no lesse then infinitness and Eternity is able to bring God and man together the separation between God and man is so vast and they are at such an infinite distance since his fall that nothing but Infinitness can bring these two infinite ends together for the soul of man in one sin sins against an infinite God in any one sin it goes out and turns away from the infinitnesse of all blessednesse good joy glory and peace and so goes down into the infinitness of nothing for nothing is a kinde of infinitness and he is indeed gone into a far Country Luk. 15. 13. as the Prodigal was now therefore nothing but the infinite powers and infinite wisedome and strength that is in the Lord is able to bring life out of death something out of nothing therefore there is nothing to bring the heart of man out of that far country wherein to it is gone and out of that bottomless pit into which is is fallen nothing can do it but infinitness and eternity 2 Cor. 4.14 nothing but the same spirit that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead can quicken our mortal bodies there is nothing I say able to do it but the same spirit to bring a poor soul from hell and condemnation and make it one in unity with the spirit And therefore the Apostle witnesses Eph. 2.13 you that were aliens hath he made nigh by the blood of Christ Eph. 2.13 and you that were sometimes afar off hath he made near by the blood of Christ So now I hope this appears a truth to you and I hope the Lord will make it so in you by experience till then it is not a savour of life unto life for except you have the Scriptures made good in the power thereof in your own hearts what are the Scriptures to you And I have alledged them for that very end that you may finde and say These things are all fulfilled not only among the Jewes and at Jerusalem but really and truely in my selfe So then I hope some of you see it is the alone power of the Father that draws the soules of men unto Christ otherwise no man can come unto him But give me leave yet a little farther for the clearing it and explaining it by the way What this power of the Father is or how the Father doth draw or bring the soules of men unto Christ God is said to be a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Joh. 4.23 God is nothing but life glory and power spirit and immortality and whatsoever thing we could have a notion or similitude of that is able to set out strength and life and glory and wisdom yet all these come infinitly short of setting out the strength and power of the Lord of Hosts the great Jehovah who is Psal 121.5 he that keeps Israel Psal 121.5 he that keepes Israel neither slumbreth nor sleepeth so that is is to be cleared what power it is that brings the spirits of men unto Jesus Christ Certainly there is nothing but the same eternal spirit that was in Jesus Christ it is the same immortal and immediate hand and power of God that doth ever raise up the soule of man and bring it unto Christ and nothing but that spirit only and therefore from hence is that of the Apostle that no man can so much as say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 Joh. 3.5 and except a man be born of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God for t is all one and t is wrought by one and the same Almighty Spirit to say that Jesus is the Lord by the spirit and to be born of the spirit for man to say confess so ten thousand times if he do not feel him to be the Lord and the Almighty in him all his confessions in words are nothing And by one spirit saith the Text ye are all baptized into one body even the whole body and they all testifie one and the same thing that there is but one spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 Eph. 4.4 one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all Eph. 4.4 and they have all been made to drink into
whether this way of man do not set him at a farther distance from his true rest for if man think he can come to Christ by any thing of himselfe by any Religious actions and performances then from this it must needs follow that he sees not his own weakness nor wickednesse nor there is no sin nor wickednesse nor misery made manifest unto him And he makes lyes his refuge Esa 22.15 and under falshood he hath hid himselfe and drawn way his heart from the living and eternal God to depend upon the lying and deceitful power and wisedome of man and digged to himselfe broken Cisterns Jer. 2.13 So that Secondly this will follow that this man hath made a Rock to stay himselfe upon for if thou thinkest that thy actions and performances will bring thee neerer unto God then other men or that any thing can draw thee neerer but the meer hand and spirit of the Father is not this I say to set up something against the power of the Father Is not this to set up errour against truth and darkness against light and Antichrist against Christ for here it is manifest that there is nothing but the power of the Father to draw men unto Christ Now seeing thou hast made Lyes thy delight and vanity thy trust see what is pronounced against thee for all thy confidence and strong opinions of thy safety and security Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his Arm and whose Heart departeth from the Lord. Jer. 17.5 So I say this meerly leads man from a denyal of himself to a setting up of himselfe from a waiting and depending on the power of God to a depending and hanging on the wisedome and power of the flesh now when the soule has made experiment of this in it self to finde see and feele it really in his own heart that no hand drawes to the Father but the Spirit onely Oh then this will make the heart of man lament and say what a hard heart have I I cannot goe one step towards my Saviour Mark 10.51 this makes him cry out and say come Lord Jesus and open my blind eyes that I may receive my sight and thou Son of David haver mercy on me and there is none but thou alone can cure my leprosie and save my spirit or else I perish I perish for ever and this is that which makes man to have the true circumcision and to worship God in the Spirit Phil. 3.3 and have no confidence in the flesh Then if it be the Fathers power and spirit that onely draws men unto Christ Vse 2 Then neither man nor Magistrates can draw or drive them thither the work of the Father is his own work and he hath not substituted any other in his place for he will not give his glory to another neither suffer his holy name to be polluted Esa 42.8 Now if it be thus that unlesse the Father draw man unto Christ man cannot come then it must needs be lyes and vanity for any of the sons of men to take upon them and say they can and they must act something either to draw or drive men unto Christ we know this hath been the undertakings of all ages and times Joh. 16.2 but what was the fruit of it Under pretence of doing God good service they have shed the blood of the Saints that it might be fulfilled that not a Prophet perisheth OVT of Jerusalem Luk. 13.33 for still in all ages who have more persecuted the Gospel and the true Professours thereof then those who shew most Zeal and profession of it Christ and all the Prophets and Apostles and generally all the Martyrs have suffered upon this account that upon them might come all the blood shed upon the earth Mat. 23.35 Gal. 4.29 from the blood of the righteous Abel to this veâ—y day and that the bond-woman alwayes persecutes those that are from above Now I say for the Magistrates to say they can propagate the Gospel and keep back errours alas what is all of this nature but high presumption against the power and absolute Authority of Jesus Christ and taking the government of the Church out of his Hand and proclaiming themselves wiser then He But I shall but propose to these poor selfe-wise Creatures these one or two things Are they able to rule themselves and to keep errours out of their own hearts I suppose no man so ignorant of himselfe as to deny or affirm that he can the nature of man being so depraved that he cannot resist really one sin as it is sin And moreover is it not a truth that if the Lord watch not the City the watch-men watch in vain Psal 127.1 And yet thou that couldest not keep one sin out of thy own heart how canst thou undertake to watch over the Church of God and keep out Errours and Wolves that they come not in Alas poor ignorant man this is thy pride and the vanity of thy heart 1 Sam. 17 28. Psal 121.4 for 't is the Lord alone that keops Israel and he neither slumbereth nor sleepeth Againe dost thou not say that thou art a Christian if so then thou wouldst believe that he is a God Alsufficient I am God Alsufficient walk before me and be thou perfect Gen. 17.1 Is he alsufficieÌ„ntly Wise and Strong Holy Good Merciful c. then is not this the manifestation of thy absolute infidelity when thou thinkest he will not take care of his own Church Or else thou concludest thus if he be Wise enough yet he hath not Power enough and therefore thou must help him And is he not Alsufficiently Good and will he not take care of his own cause Never feare but he will I and take so much care Mat. 16.18 that the gates of hell shall never prevail against it And againe is it not said that it pleased the Father Col. 1.19 that in him should all fulness dwell And that in all things he might have the preheminence and saith he plainly Joh. 5.22 Mat. 28.18 Esa 9.6.7 the father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement unto his Son And that all power in Heaven and Earth is given unto him And again to us a Son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders And that of the Increase of his Government and peace there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdome to order it and establish it with Iudgment and Iustice even for ever And that the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this And againe Col 2.3 that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in him Now is all the power of the father given into the Hand of Christ And have not we all said the Pope is not the Vice-roy nor Vicar of Christ and does not every man throw dirt upon him and yet we can get into the POPES place and sit in his seat
that horrible Pride Robbery Blasphemy Arrogancy and Infidelity that is in the heart of man to think he will do that which none can do but the hand of God And 't is Infidelity to think God will not do that he hath promised to do to the ends of the earth and robbery in that it takes away Gods honour and wisdom and power and this mans Arrogancy in assuming them to himself One while the Magistrate he will take upon him to remove the Cloud and he saith he is the great man to propagate the Gospel which is onely and properly the propagation of the Son of God and he must plant the Ministers of the Gospel And it may be perhaps there are some would have them go with the sword and blood to plant this in other Nations surely the fruit must needs be good that springs from such a root The Gospel you see is a Tabernacle that God plants and pitches and not man but ever and anon they will be taking upon them to do this and then it must be their care to know and distinguish of blasphemies and errours and heresies and this they do meerly out of that principle of errour and blasphemy that is in their own hearts for this shewes their Infidelity that God is not able to carry on his own work And do we say we are Christians and believe in him and when we have so done tell him a lye to his face Esa 9.6 for he saith Esa 9.6 that the government shall be upon Christs shoulders And Saith the Magistrate He hath the government upon his shoulders and yet when we have made great profession in words we trample him under the feet of men Mat 5.13 for if he cannot do his own work without the power of man then he stands in need of man and then must be weaker then man Then comes another and saith The Churches they must do this they must send out and they must remove the Cloud from off the Tabernacle and that darknesse that is in several corners of the Land the Harvest is great but the Labourers are few And our Saviours counsel is when he tells us Mat. 9.37 38. Joh. 4.35 that the Harvest was white even to reaping saith hee pray to the Father that he would send faithful Labourers He doth not bid you go to the men of Power or Patrons or Magistrates And truly then it were needlesse to pray to the Lord of the Harvest when men can send them forth now is not this pride infidelity and arrogancy for any of the sons of men to think to do it Obj. But you will say if that men should not do it men would become Heathens and Mahumetans or Atheists and of no Religion Answ Thinkest thou so is Religion Planted by men I thought it had been such a thing as the Text saith every plant that the Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Mat. 15.13 May man then root up and plant at his pleasure For the truth is mans Ministry and Ministers may send out men and plant Churches that is they may make PROSELYTES and they may make them worse but can never make them better as the Pharisees taking great pains that way to furnish men as to imitations notions actions and external performances Rom. 2.28 29. but to bring the heart to be a Jew inwardly whose Circumcision is of the Heart and not of the Letter this is that plant that is alone of the Heavenly Fathers planting and shall abide but what plant either the Magistrate or Churches either by exclusion or inclusion have planted shall be rooted up But what the Lord plants what Tabernacle he pitches among poor creatures the sons of men that are neither cal'd by the Magistrate or Churches that is the Church that shall abide being founded on the Rock of Ages and shall stand for ever Nay further they will themselves remove the Cloud of the Tabernacle which God must do and not man and to do this they will lay heavy burthens upon other mens shoulders Mat. 23.4 c. and to this end they will bring forth a Doctrine to put men upon it teaching that men have Free will and may believe if they will and repent unto life that so man may be perswaded he is not fallen so low as some say that he need but wipe or throw off a little the dust off his own eyes which he got by his Fall and then he may see presently and using but his utmost industry he may work out his own salvation Alas this is but a delusion of Satan to make a poor blind man rub his own eyes and be afterward a great deal worse No this is not the way 't is the Lord removes the Cloud and not Man therefore till the Lord cause the soul simply to go out by beleeving there is still a cloud upon the Tabernacle and upon all those Mysteries that concern Jesus Christ Eph. 4.21 and they cannot see the truth as it is in Jesus Alas these soules look not at God but man the truth is all men in their Religion talk of God but their hearts are far from him Esa 29.13 This people saith God draw too neer me with their lips but their hearts are removed far from me Yet more though all mens Religion talk of God yet you that have eyes to see may see plainly their Hearts are on man and the creature they talk of God of Christ of grace of gaining knowledge of acting by grace and yet do but follow the point home in practice and application and ye shall find these are all laid upon man and in effect they say man must remove the Covering off the Tabernacle and he must by his study and pains bring down light and life and the like So I say though they say it with their mouths their hears are far from God So that when once man really sees there is a Cloud upon the Tabernacle then he looks not to the right hand nor to the left Psa 121.1 thinking that man should remove it but alone to the hills from whence his help and salvation comes for when a man thinks his own zeal performances duties belief repentance and the like be the way to remove the Cloud thinking surely I shall remove it presently I will goe pray and hear and watch over my selfe and keep close to those rules I have chosen and then I shall have light and peace and joy and so remove the Cloud presently and so he is bragging and boasting thereof in himselfe and throwing dirt and mire upon all others that are short of him as he conceives and so poor man is feeding upon the dead ashes of his own heart Esa 44.20 and knows not that there is a lye in his RIGHT HAND his very light is darknesse and his goodnesse sin and his riches beggery and his life death and that he holds in his right hand is a lye And if the light
had or John or any of the Apostles if thou experiment not the same things without question this is the truth and the life whatever the men or the Masters of the Letter or of the City of the Letter say unto you The words that I speak unto you saith our Saviour they are spirit and they are life Joh. 6.63 they are not onely a dead Letter to the ear and to the understanding but they are quickning spirit declaring true death and true life in us The Scripture in every part there of holds forth either evil or good death or life light or darknesse heaven or hell the Temple of God or the Temple of Idols Christ or Belial that is either man in his lost miserable blind dark undone and helish condition or else Christ the Saviour the life the light the glory the happiness the Redeemer of man Now if we have not experience of either of these two in our selves all reading hearing preaching praying sacrificing is in vain 2 Cor. 3.6 and the Scriptures are no other to us but the killing and deadly letter Lastly we will name one more of their Sorceries and Inchantments and so conclude and t is a very great one In that they take upon them the very Office and place of Christ they think themselves and call themselves Teachers and Divines and men must come to them as to the Oracles of God and they are the Priests lips which shall preserve knowledge come to us and hearken to us and we will direct you and teach you what means and what rules and ordinances ye shall use and which is the way to Heaven when as Christ saith plainly call no man Father nor no man Master upon earth for one is your Master and one is your Father Luke 14.11 c. Joh. 6.44 which is in Heaven but he that is greatest among you let him be your servant And whosoever shall exalt himselfe shall be abased and he that shall humble himselfe shall be exalted And saith again No man can come to me but by the Father and except the Father draw him And again I am the way the truth and the life And yet they say come to us joyn your selves in fellowship with us and conform to us and walk with us for we have the best means we will shew you the best way we have overlookt and examined all other Church-fellowships and none like ours we are squared according to the primitive pattern and to the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 and the word it self justifies all our rules and our way of worship And they say moreover we have the word of the Lord with us and for us and we have the mind of Christ with us we have a dream and we have a revelation and we have seen a vision when indeed they have seen nothing but have stole the word of the Lord from others and borrowed of their neighbour of this and that Authour and have searched what this man saies or that man writes of such and such points and then come and cry the word of the Lord when the Lord hath not spoken in them nor to them but boast of things without their measure 2 Cor. 10 14 c. 1 Joh. 1.1 speak not the things that they have seen and heard and that their hands have handled of the word of life but as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 10. Who seek to commend themselves boasting of other mens labours and experiences and not of their own boasting beyond their line of things not distributed to them 2 Cor. 10. Vers 15. Ezek. 13.6 7. and yet will say The Lord hath spoken and this is the Word of the Lord and yet never found it The Word of the Lord in them or to them neither have they seen any thing nor the Lord hath not spoken unto them And therefore what ever they may say they cannot make it out to the hearts of others but they talk of it at random and by guesse and they say t is so and it must not be questioned for all other received Orthodox men forsooth have said it Are these Prophets think you of the Lords sending have these received the Word at his mouth Ibid. 3.17 No no but they are furnished by their learning and parts and acquirements and so of and from Man And so likewise not onely is the Prophet deluded but the people also for they have joyned themselves with these Prophets and there they will stick and their faith is pind upon their sleeves Oh such a man he is a sound man and he cannot erre and they will heare no where else And so this Prophet as thou takest him to be becomes Thy Pope and thy Holy Father for to him thou givest heed and him thou followest and obeyest And this is the great inchantment in our times when men forsake Jesus Christ the true and only Teacher and depend upon men This is a great mischiefe and a grievious plague but the world is not sensible thereof but blesse themselves in this great evil What say they shall we forsake our Ministers shall we let the Gospell and the preaching of the Word fall to the ground God forbid As though men upheld the Gospel and men could teach the Gospel It is then Gospel to thee when Jesus Christ makes it glad tidings in thy heart and when there is nothing in Heaven and Earth more wellcome to thee and when thou hast forsaken and laid down thy selfe to receive it But till we come to see that there is no other father no other Master but Jesus Christ in all the world in heaven or earth we are certainly inchanted and deluded and are under a spirituall CHARM But be it so Object then what reason is there that we should heare you or receive what you say T is true if I should say otherwise in regard of my selfe Answ I should also be a deluder a lyer and a charmer and a Southsayer I would by no means you should look at me or regard me as if I could doe anything I desire to be no other but as a dead instrument used by the Lord and would not be thought of or esteemed any thing I am no more fit to speak then any of you all if God will speak by you ye may all prophesie one by one as the Apostle saith God forbid that I should think my selfe better then any other Saint of God or think my selfe more honoured by standing in a high place above you the Lord hee knows my heart An hill or a mountain in the field were as fit for me any place I passe not but onely for conveniency of Hearing So the Lord wil but set up himselfe and magnifie his own name which he will doe let my praise my glory lie in the dust and I would be no more stirred and disquieted in spirit with any such thing then a man that is naturally dead And therefore let them look to it Math.
figure there is alwayes something resembled or shadowed out to us besides and beyond the Allegory or Metaphor Therefore by the Plant here mentioned is mean the New Creation or the New Man created in Jesus Christ Eph. 4 24. And there is nothing can thrive or flourish but onely this which is onely planted by God himself every other plant must be rooted up this new man is of God spiritualized like himself of his own nature and it knows and understands the things of God let there be a thousand Religions in the world yet onely that which the Father hath planted and is from Heaven that alone shall stand I would for testimony to this truth refer you to two or three places of Scripture to consider of I will not name nor multiply many for I will not weary you with tumbling over the Letter as the manner of some is neither is it of much use or of any proof or convincement to any but those who have the things themselves made good in them Take that in John 15.1 2. Joh. 15.1 2. There is the same similitude used as is here I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman Every branch in me which beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch which beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit So that this shews that Jesus Christ is the onely vine and his father onely minds and husbands this Vine and every branch in it for the root and branches are all but ONE Vine and the Father he alone hath planted it and he dresseth it and waters it and prunes it Jesus Christ in himselfe and members he is the true root of Jesse whom the Lord will establish upon the Throne for ever And t is onely the root of David that hath prevailed Rom. 15.12 Esa 11.10 and no other All other Vines are as a wilde Olive and bear no fruit in him and therefore must be taken away and cut off for except they abide in him they cannot bring forth fruit Without me you can do nothing Joh. 15.4 5. That which is a wild vine or a wild Olive it bears no good fruit therefore men reject it and root it up as good for nothing but to cast into the fire to burn and so doth the Heavenly Husband man reject whatever is wilde and not planted by himself Out of him all the fruit they bring withers and dyes nay they are fruitlesse without they be graffed into him and that they have his spirit and his divine nature that they are members of his body flesh of his flesh bone of his bone Eph. 5.30 So that by this place you may see that the Heavenly Father is the true Husbandman and the onely true plant is Jesus Christ and every one which beareth true fruit they are branches proceeding and growing in and from this root Again look on that place Rom. 6.5 Rom. 6.5 if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection So that still the Scripture carries it along in the person of Christ and not to own any thing or any fruit brought forth by any of the sons of men but as they are rooted and bring forth fruit in him He is the choise and tender VINE which brings forth fruit acceptable to the Heavenly Father He is the tree of life in the City of God spoken of in Revel 21.2 planted by the River bearing twelve manner of fruits Rev. 12.2 and yielding her fruit every moneth and the leaves of this tree are for the healing of the Nations And HEE is the tree spoken of Psal 1.3 He shall be planted by the Rivers of Waters that bringeth forth fruit in his due season whose leaf shall not wither Ps 1 3. and whatsoever he doth shall prosper Every beleever is a mameber of Jesus Christ A plant planted by the Lord in him and none can possibly cause any branch in him to wither all else out of him cannot but wither and dye Ps 92.13.14 So also take notice of that place Psal 92.13 14. The righteous shall flourish like the Palm Tree and shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God They shall bring forth fruit in their old age they shall be fat and flourishing Jesus Christ is also that spirituall house which the Heavenly Father hath builded not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens and every Saint is a Spiritual Stone in this spiritual house and these are all beautiful stones being placed in this house These are fruitful Trees being planted there and shall bring forth fruit and shall flourish when they are old and bring forth fruit to eternity One place more shall suffice that in Jer. 17.7 8. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord Jer. 17.7 8. and whose hope the Lord is For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters and that spreadeth out her roots by the River and shall not see when beat commeth but her leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the year of drought neither shall cease from yeilding fruit These places are sufficient I need not farther enlarge for they give testimony and witness as far as the Letter can But what is the Letter to that man who hath no Testimony nor Witnesse of the truth thereof in his own heart he can never set his seal to the truth thereof and it can do him no good except it be a word of evidence and he hath a witnesse within it being true in his heart But the mon of the Letter if they hold forth any truth then they heap up Scriptures as they conceive to prove it and think they have done such an act when as if there be not a convincement and a witness thereof within the Letter will never convince men but when the same thing is written in the heart then man closes with it and answers to it and then the Word is as David saith sweeter then the Honey and the Honey-comb Ps 19.10 and more to hbe desired then Gold yea then much fine Gold else t is no other but a dead Letter and then is fulfilled that promise of the New Covenant Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8.10 Jer. 31.33 Not according to the Covenant I made with their Fathers which Covenant they brake But I will put my Law into their inward parts and write it in their hearts and they shall no more teach every one his neighbour and his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest c. And thus I hope there are many here find this truth made good in themselves and will set to their seal that all other plants which the Father hath not planted must be rooted up And if this be so Vse 1 as most certainly it is then
this discovers to us who is that ONE Tree that the Father onely hath planted And that is only the Root of Jesse which Isaiah speaks of Esa 11.10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an Ensigne of the people and to it shall the Gentiles seek and his rest shall be glorious Which the Apostle applyes particularly to Jesus Christ Rom. 15.12 Rom. 15.12 There shall be a root of Jesse and he shall arise to reigne over the Gentiles Rom. 15.12 and in him shall the Gentiles trust Then what wickednesse is this in the sons of men to think that any thing they plant shall stand or that they have any holinesse love purity goodnesse power wisedome or the like Esey 64.6 And why are menstruous rags termed graces For whatever is out of Jesus Christ and whatever is not planted in man by the Father and so rooted in the Father and in the eternal and ever blessed Being must be rooted up And take that for a second use and know it for certain Vse 2 for you must receive it as an undeniable truth that no other Tree ever did doth or shall stand but onely this and indeed this is the Tree of life in the Garden of Eden Gen. 3.24 Gen. 3.24 Rev. 2.7 And that spoken of Rev. 2 7. In the midst of the Paradise of God and there is no other Tree growes or encreases or prospers but onely He neither is there any True fruit but what growes out of this root and therefore for men to say either in word or practice that there is any other wisedome any other fruit any other power any other righteousnesse is to rob Christ of his honour and to give that to man which alone is due to him No no there is no other plant but He none loved of the Father but He he is the choise and chosen Olive whose fruit is onely accepted and our actions onely as they are his actions if we be in him we then are branches in this Tree and so the root beares us and not we it as most men assert in their practice that they must do and they must work and they must conforme themselves to Christ what 's all this but they to bear the root and not the root them and they to bring forth Christ and not Christ them And therefore men should be more cautious and understand and minde what they say and do When they say I will do this and I can and I must performe this and that duty Alasse poore creature what canst thou do and who is it that beares thee canst thou bring forth God and Jesus Christ and the Spirit or rather doth not he beare and bring forth thee hast thou any thing of thine own but evil hest thou any fruit unto holinesse Rom. 6.22 any flower or blossome that can be accepted which is not received from this Tree and from this root why then doest thou so much look upon thy selfe and talk of thy selfe and why doest thou boast and glory as if it were thine own and thou hadst not received it In this thou dishonourest thy head Christ 1 Cor. 11.4 for he that can do any thing either pray or preach or prophesie or do any thing in the Church of God with his head covered he dishonoureth Christ who is the head who ought to have the sole glory of all good or all grace of all power wisedome righteousnesse Ibid. v. 5. But let the woman be covered all weaknesse and sin be laid upon man but let the husband have all the glory all the praise for the Spouse of Christ hath no riches but in his riches nor no righteousnesse but in his righteousnesse nor no glory but in his glory And therefore in all your sayings actings speakings carriages expositions exhortations see that ye never dishonour your Husband Psal 29.2 96.8 give him the glory due to his name and take shame and confusion of face to your selves do not so much as once think that man can do or act or believe or repent or work or do any thing of this nature for ye belye him and dishonour and blaspheme your husband what do you in all this but forstake the Tree of life which is healing to the Nations Rev. 22.2 and turne to the Tree of knowledge of good and evil which is so strictly forbidden to all the sons of men as much as to Adam from whence they continually eate Death and Damnation And they can do no otherwise while they forsake their Father and Husband and run a whoring after their own inventions Psal 106.39 Beloved what a do is there in the world everywhere about mans doing and mans working and he must strive and he must improve grace he must cherish this plant and do something that he may be accepted and he must watch and he must water and he must Lop and Prune this Bough and the other Branch and by his power and wisedome and watchfulnesse he must cut off this sin and the other evil And this is the great Religion of the world in all Ages And alasse what does he all this while by doing of these things in his own name and by his own wisedome and power he does but undoe himselfe for what else can he doe but bring misery and sin and darknesse upon himselfe and plunge himselfe deeper in the pit For when man is bid to do any thing repent or believe or watch or pray Phil. 2.12 1 Pet. 1.10 or to work out his salvation with feare or trembling and make his calling and election sure what doe you think it was ever meant that he should do these of himselfe or do them out of Christ No no there was never any such thing intended by the holy Ghost But say they man hath received a power and a Talent from Jesus Christ And of this he must take care and use it Object and imploy it to his Masters use I answer t is false Answ there is no such thing for a Christian enjoyes nothing out of hrist nor done apart from him but all in him and his works if right 't is Christ doth them in him and not he yet how ordinary is it with men to put man to do and why is not he so and so And men are so senslesse that they are not sensible that man is dead in trespasses and sins though they acknowledge it in words yet in truth they deny it and declare that they know not what they say For Ephes 2.1 can any other thing raise the dead but onely the voice of the son of God Though Jesus Christ hath said That every plant that the heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up John 5.28 yet for all this say they man must be doing and planting and he cannot wait the Lords time and this is the reason why men have so little experience of the true work of God because
do all men are alone in the hands of the Father he alone is Judge of quick and dead In his hands alone are the issues of life and death Acts 10.42 Ps 68.20 Joh. 6.44 And no man can come to him except the Father himself draw him and yet men will be drawing and DRIVING to Jesus Christ and they think to beget men and they like well to be called Doctors and Masters and Fathers and yet the spirit expresly sai h Of his own will begat be us with the word of truth Jam. 1.18 that we should be a kind of first fruits of his Creatures There is no power wisdome strength rules examples or precepts can do it but onely the will and power of God And he saith againe By one spirit are we all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 has one man then any more power then another can it be this mans learning or the other mans wisdom or another mans elquence or power of words or perswasions Oh let no man think so far be such thoughts from any that professe to exalt Jesus Christ for what can be more doshonour to him and yet how do the general course of the World and all pretenders to Religion run this way though they say in words Christ is All and man can do nothing and he is dead yet they in all their practices and perswasions and exhortations hold forth that they verily beleeve the power of man and that he is but half dead and may raise himselfe and uphold himselfe and chuse this plant Jesus Christ and ingraff it and nourish it and dig and hedg about it and cause it to bring forth more fruit which is alone the work of the Father Or at least wise if they give so much to God as to say he must give grace yet this they affirm that man must nurse it and water it and cherish it and maintain it else he may lose it quite say some and others to his own apprehension sight and feeling And what 's all this but to say himselfe he is the Dresser and he is the Pruner and Purger and Rectifier of all things amisse He is the True Husbandman But the Scripture holds forth otherwise that these things are done onely by the hand of God and that instruments are nothing t is onely the sword of the spirit can cut off and the word of God that is quick and powerfull and sharper then a two-edged sword Heb. 4.12 and that can divide between the soul and the spirit the joynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart There is nothing else plants nothing else cuts off from the root but only this spirit which is as the wind bloweth where it listeth and man hath nothing to do Joh. 3.8 I say the Creature hath nothing to do but to wait and expect when the Angel will move the Waters This is the Circumcision which is done without Hands Joh. 5.8 Rom. 2.28 29. And he is not a Jew that is one outwardly made by Men or any power of or in man but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the Heart and not in the Letter whose praise is not of men but of God And this work the Lord doth manageth and carrieth on by his own strength and by his owu power he is not at all beholding to mans wisedome or care but what is done in man or by man t is not he that doth it but Christ in them his work is not done by any outward and external means but by a secret invisible and spiritual power He is that secret invisible sap that communicates vertue and nourishment to every part and member through the whole body so that mans power wisdom and care is not used at all but only as an instrument or subject in which and by which it works and therefore man hath nothing at all to speak of or boast in And one man is not more holy then another or improves more because he hath more wisdom diligence endeavour or the like in the work of God all things tending in the least to lift up man are to be cut of but the spirit works where and when it listeth and man by all his care Joh. 3.8 cannot fetch in the spirit but when it self pleaseth so that no flesh may boast or glory in his presence nor one man lift up himself above another For we are alone his workmanship 1 Cor. 1.29 Eph. 2.10 1 Cor. 1.30 31. created unto good works And we are of him in Jesus Christ who of God is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption Therefore from hence let us make this conclusion and seal to it not in our words and judgments onely but in our hearts in our practices that we may say these are the very things that we have heard and seen with our eyes and we have looked upon and which our hands have handled of the word of life 1 Joh. 1.1 for there is nothing more usual then to consent to truth in the Notion thereof and in the Doctrinal part but when they come to the Practical and Applicatory then they declare plainly that they have no experience of the things of the work of God in themselves but they make man a Worker an Agent Heb. 12.2 and a finisher of Faith Some confesse that God he begins and layes the foundation but man must carry it on and do his part else all is nothing what an high indignity is this to the grace and power of God And hence it is that men glory and pride themselves so much in their own doing and are so forward to censure and judge other men wen alas man hath done nothing at all in this spiritual planting and watering but onely taken up a conceit of his own doing acting and working and priding himselfe in a meer empty fancy without any real doing at all For be sure this is that great work which Christ alone hath undertaken Heb. 2.10 Esa 42.8 Joh. 3.8 To bring many sons unto Glory and in this He will never give his glory unto another He will be free and his wind shall blow when he listeth and work when he pleaseth And for man to say that there must be any other power or any other meanes in the whole earth is to rob God of his glory and to give it to another But the practice of all the Saints is I do not say in words onely but in their practice they ascribe all to God only How violent was Paul against the Truth and the Professors thereof and yet he had attained to be a forward and an exact Pharisee far more strict then any we shall finde in our days And how zealous was he as he thought for the Truth Act. 26.11 Act. 9.1 2. exceedingly zealous against errours in his way and yet it was no other but madnesse against the truth and
garments rolled in blood hast thou seen the massacre of thy own life and the burning and the spoil and the fewel of fire in thee Then this shall be a sign to thee that to thee the Child is born and the Son given And thou hast then seen him to be the Mighty God the great Councellour the Wonderful and the Prince of peace Beloved you may talk what ye will of this mark and tother sign for saith Christ Ver. 6. Indeed the men of this Generation seek after signs but let them never once name and other sign till they finde this sign in them Have ye found this cutting off from your selves and this planting by the Lord alone Never tell me of Ordinances nor of Washings nor of Breaking bread nor of any of your rules or forms mind you only this signe this mark before ever ye look for any other of being risen with Christ and the like He that knows not these things in himself knows nothing Christ comes not to send peace before he hath sent the sword Mat. 10.34 What 's now all your doings all your dippings washings baptisms if ye have not this Baptisme all the other can never make the doers thereof nor the commers thereunto perfect Heb. 9.9 10.1 And till this be all your baptisms and worships are but from men and not from Heaven and all your Ordinances are but the Ordinances of men neither do you know what an Ordinance of Christ is for all these are but shadows your Sabbaths your new moons all things of this nature for the body is Christ Col. 2.17 If Christ himselfe will make use of these then indeed they are HIS Ordinances and there is life and power in them but as men use them they are empty cold dead and they change not the commers therunto at all for they are alive still and their spirit is yet whole in them and they have no change wrought in them from the men of the World for they are as much in love with honour and credit and all the things of the world as any other men Mat. 7.20 Col. 3.1 by their fruits ye may know them and yet they professe to be risen with Christ and to seek those things that are above why because they mistake things that are above But because they go to Church and hear and pray and fast and conform to Johns Baptism therefore they conclude they mind the things of God and seek after them Beloved to be risen with Christ is another manner of thing and it must be done by another manner of power then these men ever felt Even the very same Almighty power that raised up Iesus from the dead else they do but delude themselves This work is done by no other but by his own eternal spirit And men need not seek to any other help or means but him as thinking they can doe themselves any good But here now comes in the common Objection at which all men having not the work wrought in themselves stumble and fall Obj. and over this block they cannot get Although it is true that God does all and he must give a new heart Ezek. 11.19 and take out the stony heart and give an heart of flesh Thus far they will joyn in with you But must not man do his part and use the means that it may be effected This indeed hath been Answ and is and shall be the great stumbling block in all ages for men having not the experience of these things done in themselves they dreame of mans doing acting and working and he must put himselfe upon this duty and that when as I told you before no man seeks for Heaven as this Heaven and how then can he use the meanes for it when he never once desires the true Kingdome of Heaven but hates it opposes it runs from it useth all his inventions and weapons offensive and defensive to keep it out and desires the Lord to depart from him Job 21.14 Mat. 8.34 for be desireth not the knowledge of his wayes and with the Gergesens rather then they will part with their swinishness and that mire wherein they wallow they will meet Christ and desire him not to come neere them but to depart out of their coasts so well do all men out of Christ love him and seek after him or use meanes to come to him But to answer more particularly I do not ☜ nor never did deny the use of the meanes in the hand of the Father for the meanes do nothing but the Fathers hand only And God never intended a carnal meanes should effect a spiritual work He is a spirit and those that worship him John 4.24 must worship him in spirit and truth The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual And they are mighty in the hand of God 2 Cor. 10 4. John 3.6 not in the hand of man not in our selves but in him That which is borne of the flesh is flesh but that which is borne of the spirit is spirit And what is it that men make out about this Objection but this that men must do and men must strive and men must watch 't is true what meanes soever God pleaseth to use shall prevaile but if use by man it does nothing at all can a spiritual thing come out of a carnal can a cleane thing come out of an uncleane And therefore 't is cleare to me and to all the people of God and to their experience That the Lord makes no use of mans power or strength or wisdome or watchfulnesse or industry but what is done in man Gen. 1.3 't is purely the hand and power of the Lord. If HE say the word Let there be light in such a soul 't is done if he say to the Lepers Luke 5.12 17.17 Mark 7.34 v. 14. Chap. 5.24 be ye cleane 't is done If he say to the eares EPHPHATHA be ye opened And young man I say unto thee Arise And to the sick Arise take up thy bed and walk then the work is done But men not knowing the work and power of God they are alwayes Harping on this string on mans power acting working striving and the like I but they object further I Object but must not man use external meanes as Preaching and hearing and reading the Scripture and the like Answ Although he do Answ yet what doth all this do except the power of God be in it The Lord is pleased in this Book of the Bible to speak out the things belonging to the Kingdome of Heaven and he is pleased to stoop so low to us to represent by external things those things that are high and spiritual and saving but alasse they are all MYSTERIES and they cannot be known but in the light of God and not in the light of man but as God is pleased to make them out in man else no man knows what they meane in their own nature And
are still in snares and lockt fast in their fetters for who else can deliver and set free the soule of man but he that is Lord of all Rev. 1.18 and is subject to none He alone hath the keyes of Hell and death he alone is the soules Captaine and deliverer This is that which all the Saints have experience of when they finde themselves delivered from the bondage of flesh of selfe of the world if they feel this work done within them they know experimentally t is the very finger and power of Christ and that he is only Christs free man that none hath brought it to pass to set them at liberty to knock off their chains and lead them out of prison and set their feet upon a rock but only the Almighty power and meer mercy of the Lord Jesus they know that it hath been he that hath opened their eyes and their eares Psal 40.2 that hath raised them from death and given them feet to walk and there is none know this truly but only those that feele it done in themselves And for proofe of this point though I might prove it by Scripture very pleatifully to shew how many yea all the Saints there spoken of have found it in their own experience that they were delivered from death and from prison by the power of God and by the hand of Jesus Christ yet what is this to thee except thou sinde their experience true in thy selfe else their experience is but notions and riddles to thee and such things whereof thou hast no knowledge except thou see and know thy selfe to be under deth and kept fast in prison and except thou hast found Jesus Christ restoring recovering delivering and redeeming thee from this death And that thou findest that he hath said to thy soule Arise and stand up on the feet Acts 14.10 and hath given thee strength and life to what end is it to bring all the examples in Scripture and in the world if this death and life be no experimented in us Insomuch that thou canst say This word is true to me because done in me as the Apostle saith in Heb. 1.1 2. Heb. 1.1 2. God who at sundry times and divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers and by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things Those truths which he spake before by the Prophets he hath now spoken in us by his Son so that we now know them to be the word and speakings of God But as our Saviour saith Mat. 12.39 40. An evil and an Adulterous Generation seeketh after a sign They expect every speaking should be made good by an external word and ye must go no farther so that the truth is never witnessed to in their hearts but as he sayes there There shall no sign be given them but the sign of the Prophet Ionas For as Ionas was three days and three nights in the Whales belly even so shal the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the Earth Except you find the same things done in you the same miracles the same death the same lying in the grave three days and three nights except you find Jesus Christ taking thee by the hand and restoring thee to life thou art of an evil and adulterous Generation seeking after an external sign and thou art a meer stranger to these things But I shall for their sakes who feel the work of Christ within them give you two or three places of Scripture being the experience of the Saints of old that you may see how the Saints bear witnesse to each other in experience First Scripture Esa 61.1 2 3. Esa 61.1 2 3. speaking there of Christ being the only deliverer saith The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because he hath anoynted me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound c. To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give them beauty for ashes and the oyl of joy for mourning and the garments of praise for the spirit of heavinesse c. Christ only is the breaker open of the soules prison doors he alone gives deliverance to the Captives and he alone brings them forth from prison and sets them free and this he is to his people in all ages for he is yesterday and to day Heb. 13.8 and the same for ever and when the same word appeared in flesh he testifies the same of himself Luke 4.18 Luk. 4.18 21. where he rehearseth the same words and applyes them to himself vers 21. This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears And this was that which he still held forth in all his teachings that there is no other Saviour nor Deliverer but himself never was nor is nor ever shall be to the end of the world Moses was only an outward and external Captain or Deliverer but His leadings and deliverings are spiritual and there is none can be delivered but by him Heb. 12.24 as he is a better Mediator then Moses so he is a better deliverer t is he alone that frees the soul from the pit from death and hell his Kingdom is within us The Jewes and Pharisees they still excepted an outward deliverer and could not own Him as a Prince and Saviour but were blind and saw not what he still held forth in all his teachings They could not see the truth that they were blind and miserable and full of Hypocrisie and were no other but painted Sepulchres glorious outwardly but within were full of rottennesse stench and dead mens bones They could not endure to stand in the light of this truth Mat. 23.27 but hated it and persecuted him to the death for holding it forth What are we blind also what we the learned the wisest the holiest what we that are strict our selves and call upon others to be so this was death to them But now had they but seen this and owned it he would have been their righteousness their deliverer their redeemer to have set them free but because they said we see therefore their sin remained and their fetters and bondage was not taken off And again Christ tells them Iohn 8.31 32. If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free Now these things they could not see nor understand that they were in bondage but answered to him we are Abrahams seed and were never in bondage to any man how sayest thou ye shall be made free then Jesus answered them Verily verily I say unto you He that committeth sin is the servant of sin the servant abideth not in the House for ever but the son abideth for ever And if the son shall make you
his wayes past finding out For who hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been his Counsellour Or who hath first given to him and it shall be recompensed unto him again For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for ever Amen Seeing him to be so high and so rich and so full and so perfect that He is so full of glory and Majesty and yet to stoop so low to debase and disrobe himselfe to make himself so poor so low so much nothing to redeem and recover MEE Oh how great is this Freedom which is wrought by him alone without any seeking or desire of mine nay till he descended to finde me out I never knew my own misery nay when he did appear and condescended so low to deliver me I was not willing to be delivered but opposed him and fought against him and hated him and used all the devices and shifts I could invent to avoid this deliverance and to remain still in bondage and sided with the Devil as my friend and lookt upon him as an Enemy and a Devil and a Tormentor Herein was love indeed that HE should thus far overcome himselfe to become nothing and lesse then nothing for me who am really so and that he who is so infinitly rich ful and blessed in himself should shew so much love patience long-sufferings and bear so many affronts and indignities from such a miserable forlorn creature as man is and would never leave me till he had perswaded and overcome me Oh! herein was love indeed transcendent love incomparable love My Friends you that talk so much of Jesus Christ and are very zealous for him outwardly as one would think none more And all you that keep such a stir about your Forms and Fellowships and Orders and Washings c. except you have found Jesus Christ thus acting in you in vaine do you pretend to him for you doe but draw nigh him with your lips but your hearts are removed for from him This is the word of the Lord concerning you Esa 1.10 c. Hear ye the word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom and give ear to the Law of our God ye people of Gomorrah Why Sodom and Gomorrah He speakes to Judah and Jerusalem in the first vers But because they were no other to him but were as prophane as Sodom and Gomorrah for all their Sacrifices Sabbaths Prayers New Moons c. Esa 1.11 12 13 14 15. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me saith the Lord I am full of the burnt-offerings of Rams and the fat of fed beasts and I delight not in the blood of Bullocks or of Rams or of he-Goats When ye come to appear before me who hath required this at your hand to tread my courts Bring no more vain Oblations Incense is an abomination unto me the New Moons and Sabbaths the calling of assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemn meeting Your New Moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth they are a trouble unto me I am weary to bear them And when ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I wll not hear your hands are full of Blood c. Nay and I dare be bold to say if Jesus Christ should but come to you to convince you of your bondage and deliverance you would hate him spit at him crucifie him with as much Malignity as ever the Jews did For in truth the whole world in all their Religion and Forms love not Jesus Christ nor aym at him nor worship him but love and seek themselves and certainly this is THAT LIGHT which shall break forth in these latter days of the world to strip unmask and discover all the Religion OF MAN In this Sermon was that Testimony given to Dr. Everards Sermons which is placed at the end of this Book A RESPONSION To certaine pretended Arguments against my Book called The Saints Guide I Find a Book lately published called The Modern Statesman by one who subscribes his name by two letters G. W Esquire it may be the man is Armiger for I will not controvert what I know not but I am sure he is not very morigerous nor manifests much either of generosity or civility for his usual appellations are Fellow Wretch Caitiffe Jesuite and the like which I am sure are Epithites in a Gentleman as he would be thought otherwise he would not have written the word Esquire at length and not in figures that all Civil men will account to be Contra bonos more 's and yet the man ranks himselfe not only in a Moral but Christian account but how justly let all men and Christians judge This man pretends to answer to some Objections against Learning in a Book of mine entitled The Saints Guide in his 15. chap. pag. 109. And first mark his mistakes in the contents of his Chapter For he saith it is an answer to some Objections in my book Against Learning now in my book there is The clear definition of Learning and the division also a plain position laid down and five arguments to make good the several branches thereof and afterwards two Objections answered and sure this is something more if the man understand his own terms then some Objections barely and no more yet the man is so wise that he dare not meddle with the Position nor any one of the single Arguments but only snatcheth at one of my Queries and fixeth on a hint in my first solution A bold Adversary that bites behinde but dares not grapple face to face Secondly there is nothing at all in my Book spoken or argued against Learning under a general term or acceptation but with limitation and yet this man makes his Arguments against me as though I had opposed learning simpliciter when all that I say is but secundum quid But doubtlesse the man will prove A great Logician he begins so learnedly Thirdly there is nothing in my Book spoken against Humane learning neither in any general way but under a precise respect and punctual restriction as it cannot per se ex propriâ naturâ understand nor apprehend the Mystery of the Gospel nor any way of its own nature be advantagious unto it and this it holdeth out not in an abstract notion but in a concrete Consideration yet the man as Lucian saith of fortune and folly like a mad blind person laies about him not caring nor seeing where he smites or wounds and answers as though I had argued against Learning in general which how false is evidently manifest thus the man hath made a Giant of straw and will now Combat with him when he hath done doubtlesse here will be good game ecce Don Quixot and his Wind-Mils The man seems a great Zealot for that which he imaginarily accounts Learning and I could wish he were a fit Champion but alas impar congressus Achilli
for when I had pondered the levity and incomposure of his Argument I could not but conclude as learned Helmont did of RODOLPHUS GOCLENIUS De Magn. vulner Curat lib. ingenui scientiae tam debilem Patronum obtigisse But alas he must needs appear a MODERATE states-man who hath hardly yet learned good manners it had been a far better adviso for him to have stayed at Jericho until his beard had been grown and kept his papers by him until Horace his advice had taught him some better experience decimum prematur in annum but a full Vessel must needs vent let us therefore hear his responsion He begins the Chapter with the words of a namelesse Author who saith Nor is any Nation without some turbulent spirits of its own the dishonour of the Gown and Pulpit the shame and sometimes ruine of their Country and amongst them ranks me as one Where we may note that though the man be ready and rash groundlesly to call others the disciples of Satan yet it is manifest he is one himself for Satan is an accuser of the brethren Rev. 12.10 and so is he in these forecited words he is also a father of Untruths Neither He nor any in the Nation can justly make it forth that I am any way guilty of turbulency of spirit either to shame or ruine my country and for Satan He was a lyar from the beginning and abode not in the truth Joh 8.44 But I can witnesse the truth of his Author in himselfe for if he had not been of a turbulent spirit he would never have began nor proceeded so boysterously nor uncivilly And if He be not the shame of the Gowne or Pulpit I am sure he is of the Presse that may well blush with those malicious falsities that he hath published against me who never thought nor did him iujury Doth his learning or Christianity teach him these things The lips of truth shall be established for ever Pro. 12.19 but a lying tongue is but for a moment And so hee repeats my third Quaery And His first entrance is still like himselfe full of poyson and evil words He saith it is a Quaery Satan himself might blush to put Surely the man was ARMIGER to Goliath or Rabshakeh from whom hee learned to rayle for I must tell him That some persons have put the same Quaere without blushing who were of more learning and piety then an hundred such as G. W. though they were all Esquires But it may be the man hath spoken truth knew not for I verily beleeve Satan would blush to put any Quaery that might unmask his deceits or discover truth and so would not willingly have this question brought to the rest lest the foundation of his Kingdom be thereby shaken Neither doth this Quaere any way disagree with the title of The Saints Guide 1 Thes 5.21 for it is they who are advised to try all things and to hold fast that which is good and that the wolfe cloaths himselfe in the lambs skin is witnessed in himselfe whose wolfish nature appears in his malicious devouring language though he would adorne it with the specious pretext of being a Christian And then he proceeds still in that work which his Master the Prince of darknesse hath set him upon to accuse unjustly and falfely for he saith that I reproach Learning which is absolutely untrue I doe onely but rank and place it where it ought to stand neither doe I blasphemously like himselfe assume or attribute any divinity to my self or words Can any thing be truly and properly called DIVINITY but the Nature and Being of God onely Surely his Learning might have taught him more fit language But he proceeds and saith That except the Old Serpent and my selfe whom he Serpent-like calls his Disciple he never found any affirming that man wanted any thing in his innocency pag. 111. Where did he finde except in his own Serpentine-heart that the Old Serpent did ever affirme that man wanted not any thing in his innocency For if he had affirmed this he had affirmed that truth which he hates Did the man never finde that the Spirit of God in the Scriptures doth affirme that Man wanted the knowledge of evil that he wanted sin corruption misery and death which all entred by the fall and after it Had man before the fall an ignorant blind and darkened soule or a bestiall nature subject to diseases and death or came not all these by and after the fall and so he wanted them before Who is the Serpents disciple I or the Armiger let all knowing men judge Thus the man argues against he neither knowes what nor whom with much railing but no reason But now he saith he comes to the question That reason was depraved and darkened by the Fall and that by the help of learning it is in some measure restored and this he allowes and affirmes Was this the question propounded by me let any man read and judge The great Logician with all his skill commits that Fallacie which every minor Sophister would be ashamed of which is Petitio principii the begging of the question For in the Quaery it is not supposed nor granted that man before the fall had reason or humane learning but is part of the question it selfe And he himself page 110 urges it as my affirmation that man wanted it in his innocency and yet now hath forgotten and lost the state of the question Therefore I must put him in mind of it againe and tell him that the question was not whether reasen were depraved by the fall or in some measure restored by learning but whether before the fall he had reason or humane learning or not and so all that he spatters forth about falling into a pit and getting out and the rest to the middle of the 112. page is but the foame of his raving fancy and to no purpose in respect of my Quaery but is altogether extra limites questionis Then he proceeds and saith The fellow seems to be a Scholler I shall therefore ask him one question I would know of this Armiger how many such fellows as my self his Worship maintains to wait upon him It may be he looks not upon me as his fellow but however he might take me to be his brother Animal Joh. 9.29 But I shall meekly and patiently passe by the Title knowing that our Lord and Master Jesus Christ was so called by the great Rabbies of the Jewes and onely wish that God would be pleased to bring him to the fellowship of his Saints in truth and sincerity If I seem to be a Scholler which I confesse is in a very little measure I wish I could see it appeare so in him for I had rather combat with solidity of Learning then with passion and uncivill language But let us heare his learned question which is this Is not Reason the specifical difference of man from a beast and was man distinguished from
his wisdom knowledge dignity and preferment in Jesus the Eternal Saviour of his Soule therefore I say here may any that live in the light see the great work of the Lord even when the greatest wisedome is made folly the greatest knowledge made ignorance and all that Gods wisdom may appear Oh what a wonder is it yea a Beautiful thing in this case to see a rich man spoild of his riches a strong man robbed of his strength and a spirit adorned with All carnal exercises made willing to suffer the loss of all that it may enjoy be filled with the fulness of him that filleth all in all there is none but such spirits as His that are made willing to suffer the losse of all that will forsake the Worlds Crown for Christs Crosse yet his spirit hath chosen with poor Moses rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures and profits of the world for a season As doth appear plainly in that he is not afraid to declare and witnesse forth to the unbeleeving world what great things the Lord hath done in and for his soule though he receive nothing from the world but scandal persecution and reproach which was and is all the reward that the people of God doe or ever shall receive from the world because they bear forth the witnesse of the Lord against all its formal covetous self-ended Religion which covers it self under the mantle of Christ thereby to gain the honour riches and pleasant endowments of the earth and makes the mercy and goodnesse of God which leads into all charity towards All creatures a cloak for them to hide their carnal and selfish practices under but this Poor heart having cast off and abandoned the cloaks of shame and renounced the hidden things of dishonesty deals not craftily neither handles the word of God deceitfully but declares the truth to every mans conscience in the sight of God For first here is laid open the foundation declaring that there is no peace life power wisdom righteousnesse nor Eternal happinesse in any other but in Jesus Christ and the heart of the Fathers love made manifest in flesh And also that there is no way to attain to the knowledge of this Jesus but by his own life power and wisdome And this is that which makes the professing ones in this as in all ages to bend their utmost power and strength against it For now cryes BABEL that 's hunting after God on purpose to get worldly power and riches into its hand that when by its pretended Religion it hath got earthly power it may oppresse persecute and undoe the poor groaning and distressed Saints of Jesus Christ who have relinquisht the world that they may serve him in doing good to every one of his creatures if this truth saith shee go forward then the hope of all our gain is gone and we shall no longer be applauded esteemed or set by for this teaches all men to deny themselves to forsake the world The riches pleasures and profits thereof and alwayes to doe good by relieving the oppressed and paying the debts of the imprisoned and that every poor captive may goe free Nay and not only so but also it declares the emptinesse of all our Forms Negative Religions Duties precise Walkings preachings prayings and all other of our Customes and Observations therefore is she forc't to seek the downfal of it or otherwise to lose all her self-glory But O yee Religious Ones let me ask you one Question or two Did Christ or his Apostles deny all ouâ—ward grosse sins as drunkennesse swearing lying and the like that they might become covetous proud and powerful in the world as it is too too apparent by your practice YE do as I shal clearly evince and demonstrate in these ensuing particulars 1. Is there any that have increased and advanced their carnal and worldly estates more then you in these times 2. Is there any that flatter men in Authority more then you and if for any other end then earthly preferment let the effects and fruits speak I know your pretences are that you aim at the glory of God but what are the fruits are they not self-glory for who are more self-seeking who more rich who more high and potent then you who are more desirous of worldly honour and rule then you And why do you say the Scriptures are a rule of life and make them no lesse then God and walk not according to their Rule Do you ever read in Scripture that Christ or his Apostles grew rich and mighty in the world by declaring and witnessing forth the truth in life and doctrine and wherefore are you not like them And ought not all to follow their examples if They ought then why doe not you Where is that self-denial and forsaking the world that Christ so often commands and exhorts to amongst you who are imbracing and thrusting after the world with all eagernesse and love to go in long cloathing to be known from other men that ye may receive Greetings in Markets and the chief seats in the Synagogues and the uppermost rooms at Feasts these are the things that please you How can you believe who thus love to receive Honour of men and seek not that which is of God Would it not be a happiness to you to have the Scripture changed into another form where it saith forsake the world deny thy selfe that it might say embrace the world and cleave to thy selfe for sure I am the one agrees more with your wayes then the other But now to my second Question did ever Christ or his Apostles persecute and hate any that were not of their minds yea or no if they did not then why do you And where is that spirit of love amongst you that is kinde to the evil and unthankful and why do you seek to civil Governours to assist in upholding that you call your Religion and in punishing all those that are contrary to it seeing Christ and his Apostles did not so doth it not hence plainly appear that you own the Scripture in words but denies it in your practice Oh my dear Hearts Are you talking of the Word being a rule of being frequent in duties of becomming obedient to Gods revealed will and walk not according to that rule but in words and outward restraint of some common vices have any of you at any time given freely of your goods to the poor or relieved poor Captives imprisoned for debt or visited the poor Widows and Fatherlesse children in their necessities purely for Christs sake nay this is not with you and if it were what were it available if it should not be from a right Principle yet I know you can speak well but alas that helps not Well thus I have clearly declared your estate it therefore now remains to shew unto you why you do all these things even because you have not known Christ nor the father working in you death
to all these devilish deceits that your soules might come to live in him who is Truth it selfe And then you would not onely be professors but possessors of that Eternal love which would lead you into the truth and goodnesse in sincerity But because this friend of truth will not nor cannot own your outside worship he having by Gods power found the deceit thereof he is therefore by you cast out as a Heretick and so are all those that in truth and uprightnesse of heart are led and acted forth by God to work his own works for Wisdom is justified of her Children The second thing that is breathed forth in this book is this that as Christ is the Foundation so he alone it is that doth build upon this Foundation that building that will stand when all other shall and must fall and not only so but he likewise begins the work of his own power in every particular soule and carries on the same with his own hand in despight of all opposition causing flesh and all the power thereof to fall down before his face into death misery judgment and condemnation where all the glory of the first creation is seald down under the covenant of death never to rise again in its own strength power wisdom nor righteousnesse but if ever it rise again it may rise in the power wisdom and righteousnesse of Jesus the Eternal Son of the living God And thus God exercises his people under the administration of his power by bringing life out of death mercy out of misery fulnesse out of emptinesse strength out of weaknesse sufficiency out of insufficiency joy out of sorrow peace out of war and doth not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax until he hath brought forth judgment into victory and as he begineth and carrieth on his own work so also he it is and none but he that perfects it as saith the Apostle he that hath begun a good work will perfect it For it was the Eternal love of the Lord which by his Son planted the righteous seed in every soule of his and it is the same power and love that causeth it to grow in the spirit of man above all carnal power strength or policy for the pure seed shal reign till all its enemies be subdued and the spirits of those in whom it is perfectly redeemed from the Shrines and Vizzards of mortality Oh how it doth chear my heart to see our near and dear IMMANVEL springing forth unto the blind world in and through earthen vessels to the praise of the glory of Gods great grace who hath made us accepted in his beloved Therefore Reader if thou findest any of these workings in thy own soul then mayst thou know that they are no fictions but the real operations of Gods great power but if thou look not on them in the light of truth there will be no unity between thee and the party through whom they were uttered for he lives in the life of that which here is declared by words and if thou live in the same life and look upon them in the same light then will they be matter of rejoycing to thy soul but if thou look upon them any other way they will be nothing to thee but Parables and Riddles Thus hoping and knowing that God will make this work and every other work together for good to them that love him I commend thee to God and to the work of his grace Resting thy Brother and Companion in tribulation in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ THO. SOMERTON THE TITLES CONTENTS And TEXTS contained in this Book 1. THe Vail of the Covering spred over All Nations What it is and How removed with a Discovery of that Mountain of Fat things full of Marrow and Wine on the Lees well refined Delivered on a Publick Day of Thanksgiving the 23. of June 1653. at Alhallowes Lumbard street Upon ESA. 25.6 7. In this mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make unto All people a Feast of Fat things A Feast of Wines on the Lees c. In one Sermon 2. THe Builders of Babel confounded in their Language Being an Exposition by Mr. Webster at the end of a Disputation at Alhallows Lumbard street He being requested to dismisse the multitude with some profitable exhortation which was from Gen. 11. the nine first verses And the whole Earth was of one Language and of one Speech and it came to pass as they journyed from the East they found a Plain in the land of Shinar and they dwelt there and they said one to another Go too let us make brick and burn them throughly c. 3. THe Power of Divine Attraction or The Fathers great love in drawing poor Sinners unto his Son Delivered at White-hall On JOH 6.44 No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day In one Sermon 4. THe Cloud taken off the Tabernacle that the Israel of God may journey At Alhallows Lumbard street In two Sermons EXOD. 40.36 37 38. And when the Cloud was taken up from over the Tabernacle then the Children of Israel went onward in all their journeys But if the Cloud were not taken up they journyed not until the day it was taken up c. 5. THe secret Southsayer or Hidden Sorcerer discovered At Alhallows Lumbard street In two Sermons MICAH 5.10 11 12 13. And I will cut off the Cities of thy land and throw down all thy strong holds I will out off Witchcrafts out of thine hand and thou shalt have no more Southsayers Thy graven Images also will I cut of and thy standing Images out of the midst of thee c. 6. THe rooting up of every plant not planted by the Heavenly Father Delivered at Alhallows Lumbard street In two Sermons MATTH 15.13 14. Jesus answered and said Every plant which my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Let them alone they bee blind leaders of the blind and if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch 7. THe Saints perfect freedom or Liberty in Christ asserted in opposition to all yoaks of bondage At Alhallows Lumbard street In two Sermons GALA 5.1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us Free and be not entangled again with the yoak of bondage 8. IN the second of these last Sermons Mr. Webster was freely drawn forth to give that Testimony to Dr. Everards Sermons lately printed which is placed at the end of the Book and are all the Sermons can be expected of his there being not any more preserved Which are sould by R. Harford at the Bible and States-Arms in Little Brittain 9. LAstly hereunto is added A Responsion by Mr. Jo. Webster to certain pretended Arguments against his Book call'd The Saints Guide Reader THere are some few faults escaped at the Press some litteral others in some owrds mistaken but being only such as an
of the same misery Again farther this will be another effect If Satan and Antichrist be discovered and cast out in thee it will bring thee not to wonder to see such infinite multitudes of men carried away with the spirit of Inchantment and Delusion for t is a wonder any one is brought from under these delusions There are but two Spirits in the world either we are carried away with the spirit of Inchanting or else with the spirit of Christ All the Saints can bear witnesse to this and none else for they onely have experience of both states They know the snares of the Hunter and they are not ignorant of his devices and they have the voice the leadings Psal 124.7 2 Cor. 2.11 Joh. 10.5 1 Cor. 2.15 Rom. 2.2 the teachings of their only Master and they know what Doctrine savours of his life and what savours of the flesh they know his voice from the voice of a stranger and a stranger they will not follow for this is the spiritual man who judgeth all things and he himself is judged of no man they hear his judgement for they know his judgment is true and they know the voice of God from the voice of all the Inchanters Diviners Southsayers or from any stranger in the world he cannot be as formerly he was deluded with lyes shews and pretences Beloved this is that the world cannot endure to hear of that their Doctrine or their wayes should be censured or judged But the Saints who are really freed they have such experience of all these things that they do know God from the Devil and their own dear Master who hath done so much for them from all Deluders Necromancers and Southsayers in the world and the spiritual man he hears and ownes and follows and loves his Master and knows him not in conceit or notion and opinion or perswasion but by a clear Revelation and Manifestation of the day of Jesus Christ in him He found that till then he was in darknesse and the strong man kept the house Mar. 3.27 and he had an opinion that he was alive and yet was really dead before he had high opinions of himself and of his serving God and pleasing God and conceited that he had brought every high thought and every imagination into subjection to Christ 2. Cor. 10.5 and that they had observed every rule not omitting the least command without conformity to it He did not pick and chuse but he was universal in his obedience as he thought and he scarce knew any thing amisse by himself He was conformable to forms and duties and washings c. but alas to an experienced Saint all this is but delusion for his very speech will bewray him since he cannot but speak of himself and of his doing and acting ye shall never hear him complain of himself really from a true sense of evil but formally he may but he is still vomitting out his own pride and vain-glory shewing his guifts and parts and glorying in his wisedome and holinesse and stil telleth what great and goodly things he did But all this is but MAN Man in the beginning and Man in the middle and Man in the end For this man was never fetcht out of him self never yet saw the abominations of his own heart Ezek. 20.43 never yet loathed himself and how can any thing of God come from him who never in himself had any thing of God but all his actings were from man and from self and from parts gained and acquired by his own diligence and improvement Mat. 7.16 and do men gather Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles From hence also t is farther clear that all Charmes Lyes Inchantments Sorceries and all the secret workings of Satan and Antichrist lie hid and undiscovered until the day of Jesus Christ for Satan will never discover himself Belzebub will never really cast out Belzebub Mat. 9.34 though he by the Pharisees lyingly cast that upon Christ meerly to hide and keep himself undiscovered for his subtile working is that he would have Christ taken to be the Devil and he would be the Christ and this is the grand policy of the Devil ' who hath wonderfully prevailed in the world upon this account True Christ is the Devil to the world and to all false Professours and the working of man and self and of the Devil in man this is received as the Christ and this is in such a white and glorious and innocent Devil to the world that not all the men in the world nor all out of Christ could never have discovered him convincingly or cast him out t is only the finger of God that discovers cuts off and destroyes this witchcraft from among us But so this Devil may not be cast out he will shift any way to save himself he will take up any form any way to worship Christ be conformable to any external thing being no other but false Apostles And his Ministers shall be Ministers of righteousnes though they be deceitful workers transforming themselves into the very likenesse of the Apostles of Christ as they are called in the Corinthians 2 Cor. 11.13 14 15. And no marvaile for Satan himsel will transform himself into an Angel of light Nay though he be a Devil yet he will have a form of godliness as the Apostle saith 2 Tim. 3.3 2 Tim. 3.3 The word there translated false Accusers is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore the Devil must by no means appear to be a Devil for then he loses his credit and possession he knowing that if once he appears as a Devil as a Devourer as a Destroyer Tormenter as seeking the death of the soule as a red Dragon thirsting after blood If Jesus Christ once discovers him thus far there is no staying for him in that soule for then out he must but still this is the Divels method and his deep designe to hide himself still to appear in a way of Jugling and Conjuring as you know the Serpent did to Eve speaking to this purpose I come not but for thy good I come not to hurt or destroy thee I come to make thee more glorious more happy and more like unto God more wise c. The Devil never appears as a destroyer but as a friend to man he alwayes governs his subjects especially in the Religious part of the world as an Angel of light as hating ungodliness and the wayes of sinne 2 Cor. 11.14 and loving the wayes of righteousness and conformity to the external letter and rule of Christ which these men call GODLINESSE As our Saviour told the Jews John 8. Ye are of your father the Devil and his works ye will doe Beleeve it this was very strange and harsh Doctrine to such great and learned and eminent Professors and Teachers of Religion but he not onely saith but proves that they are of their Father the Devil for all their great shews and external srictnesse for
saith he there is no truth in him he was a lyar from the beginning and the father thereof and so continues he doth nothing but lye in all his Religious servants for they will take up any form of Religion and are as conformable as may be as though they were the true servants of Christ but in all this they do but lye and dissemble and inchant and delude And my brethren is not the Devil as fair in his pretences now adayes in taking up forms duties conformity strictnesse and following the mind of Christ many say they will do nothing but they will have the rule of the word for it and they will undertake to open the Scriptures and give out the mind of Christ These Servants of Satan come not on the account of prophaness or ignorance but professing Knowledge and Religion and Learning and they are the great searchers into all knowledge and think themselves not ignorant of any thing but obedient in all things and indeed who more knowing or obedient according to the external Letter then they These are very high and fair pretences yet who were more learned and knowing more seemingly zealous then the Pharisees whose abilities were still manifested in their marvailous cunning catching questions to intrap Jesus Christ these men though they know not the wisdome and the knowledge of God or Christ yet they are notable Apes and Imitatours of them though they know not the truth they will pretend they do and think verily they do and they will frame themselves and their notions as near as man can to understand the Scriptures by his learning wit and industry but alas while they make a shew of knowledge and yet are ignorant of the Truth and the Mystery and this is nothing but a lye and t is no other but the Language of the Beast For mans bucket can never reach the truth and the water of life and no man in Heaven or Earth was counted worthy to open this Book and loose the Seales thereof but onely the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah Rev. 5.5 And there is no man knows the Father but the Son Luk 10.22 and him to whom the son will reveal him Beloved all things in the world are from these two Principles or Roots they are either from the wisdome that is from above which is pure peaceable humble meek long-suffering Jam. 3.17 Vers 15. full of good works or else they are from the wisdome which is from beneath which is earthly sensual and devilish It is given to catching carping insnaring reviling lying slandering c. Now the wisdom from above never teaches men to carp and lie lurking to catch the innocent and guiltlesse man such was and is the wisedome of the Pharisees in all ages Psal 10.9 they will be very forward to argue as though they would willingly know all truth but they do but argue to catch and insnare and when they cannot understand or comprehend then they will invent some gin and forge some lye or other Again this wisdome from beneath it s very full of judging Jam. 3.15 and full of pride and it magnifies all things of mans inventing and whatever man magnifies But do you think any of this is from God or from the Divine Wisedome No no the property of Divine Wisdome is to become humble to lay aside all things of self and flesh and to become teachable and nothing in its own power or wisdom This is the property of Divine Wisdome in man but when man would act and be Something and undertake to observe this rule and the other and they can undertake the alone work of the spirit to lead men into all truth before Christ comes in by his light power and wisdome Joh. 16.30 and they will be journying before the Lord remove the Cloud Exod. 40.36 2 Cor. 11.14 All this is from the Wisdome of the Serpent in man who can transform himself into an Angel of light and his Ministers into Ministers of righteonsness What do these men more then the Pharisees for they by their own power conformed to all outward rules and indeed unquestionable Ordinances appointed by God himselfe and how exact were they in performing them even far beyond the strictest now adayes of all those things they say are Ordinances and yet they are not sure they are so though they cry out The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord Jer. 7.4 and call for the wayes of Christ and the rules and minde of Christ yet how sharply doth Christ fall upon them and call them Hypocrits Mat. 23.27 15.14 Joh. 8.44 and painted Sepulchres and blind leaders of the blind nay and calls them Devils for all their strictnesse ye are of your father the Devil and his works and his will ye doe in all this that ye pretend to serve God by For in all this wherein they seem so holy and strict and to surpasse and outrun all other men 't is onely the Devil that carries them out in their own power and the fruit of it is nothing else but to glory in men and in the flesh The Jewes they had an outward and worldly sanctuary 1 Cor. 3.21 and a formal worship and this they boasted of and gloried in And so t is now men have taken up some things equivalent and like unto these For now Satan appears in things that men call ORDINANCES as outward washings and in call this the true baptisme and Church-order and Fellowships and say his is according to the rule of the Gospel and partaking of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament they call this the eating of the Body and drinking of the Blood of Christ Now in nothing doth the Devil more delude men then in these things calling them the Ordinances of Christ when indeed they are not As you see how the Jews stood upon it justified themselves that they were the true seed of Abraham when he told them of being made Freemen and would have convinced them of their unknown bondage they answered We are Abrahams seed and were never in bondage to any Joh. 8.33 and howsayest thou ye shall be made free Now indeed there was a kind of truth in it that they were the fleshly seed of Abraham and they had submitted to Circumcision and to those external iules commanded and this seemed to be somewhat as to outward appeanance as if they were the true seed of Abraham but that was not it and they had Circumcision and yet were not Circumcised in heart neither were they his true seed And so many boast of Ordinances and Washings and Baptisme and breaking bread and Church-fellowships and laying on of Hands and observing the rules of Christ and following the pattern of the Apostles when alasse poor soules they quire mistake the matter t is true t is like Baptisme but t is not it and they are like the Ordinances of Christ but they are not such they would seem to make