him he is fully persuaded that there is not Salvation in any other and believing that Christ is able to save to the utmost all that come to God through him And being drawn to Christ by God the Father he doth by a lively Act of Faith go to him and adventure his Soul upon him resolving If I perish I will perish here This Faith is God's workmanship Eph. 28. By grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God Faith is not of our selves for when the poor lost Soul sees a necessity of believing and is willing to believe he experienceth that it is not in his own power to believe he cannot believe Faith is the gift of God and the Convert lies under doubting until God give him to believe Though to believe be our duty yet it is God's Grace Gift and Work 1 Thes 1.11 Called the Work of Faith with power and the Faith of the operation of God Col. 2.12 As before Another part of God's Workmanship upon Converted Believers is Mortification of Sin Rom. 6.6 Our Old-man is Crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed this is also our duty Rom. 8.13 But if ye through the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body to wit of sin ye shall live And it is the Effect of true Faith in Christ Acts 15.9 Having purified or purged their hearts by Faith The Spirit of God by Faith works out sin and corruption both out of the heart and out of the life gradually killing and crucifying our Old Man Gal. 5.24 that the body of sin might be destroyed That henceforth we should not serve sin Rom. 6.6 nor fulfil the lusts of our flesh and of our carnal mind for to be carnally minded is death This part of God's Workmanship called Mortification is begun in Evangelical Repentance and godly sorrow for sin whereby a sanctified Believer is made to loath abhor and hate his sins 2 Cor. 7.9 10. and by the Grace of God to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts And to live soberly righteously and godly in this evil world Tit. 2.11 12. Now his heart being out of love with sin the Young Convert doth by the Assistance of the holy Spirit and Grace of God labour and endeavour the mortification of every corruption and the power of the indwelling Spirit in every sanctified Believer opposeth and subdueth the power of indwelling sin that remains in him after Regeneration Gal. 5.17 And the Spirit and Grace of God in him gets the Victory whereby Grace Reigns Rom. 5.20 21. And the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus makes him free from the Law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 Free first from the Reigning power of sin Rom. 6.11 14. Sin hath not dominion over a sanctified Believer nor will Christ suffer sin to reign in him nor suffer him to obey it in the lusts thereof Secondly From the captivating power of sin which Paul so sadly complained of Rom. 7.23 24 25. and was freed from by the power of the indwelling Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.2 Thirdly From the Motions of sin in the flesh Rom. 7.5 6. So that no lust shall conceive and bring forth sin Jam. 1.14 15. And at last Christ will free sanctified Believers from the indwelling presence of sin Death will make a total and final separation between their sins and their souls for Eternity Another part of God's Workmanship upon converted Believers in order to their Salvation is sanctification of heart and life God hath chosen you to Salvation through sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes 2.13 And Jesus Christ sanctifieth his People Heb. 2.11 As the End of our Faith is the salvation of our souls 1 Pet. 1.9 so the way to Salvation is Sanctification and Holiness Isa 35.8 And without Holiness no Man shall see the LORD to his comfort and salvation Heb. 12.14 Sanctification consists in the Truth of Grace in the Growth of Grace and in the Perfection of Grace The Truth of Grace produceth the Spiritual Fruit of the Gospel Col. 1.5 6. The Word of the Truth of the Gospel bringeth forth fruit since the day ye heard it and knew the Grace of God in Truth The Growth of Grace hath a threefold gradation some sanctified Believers grow like little Children in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.2 3. As new-born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Those St. John calls little Children whose sins are forgiven 1 Joh. 2.12 13. And St. Paul calls them Babes in Christ 1 Cor. 3.1 Heb. 5.13 For he is a Babe one that is weak in Faith Rom. 14.1 15.1 Though such have but a little grace yet it is true grace and doth grow Grace is of a growing nature like a grain of Mustard-seed Matth. 13.31 Other sanctified Believers grow like young men they are strong in Faith and overcome the wicked One 1 Joh. 2.13 14. Their Faith is great their Love is fervent and their Patience hath its perfect work that they may be entire lacking nothing 1 Thes 1.3 And some sanctified Believers are compared to Fathers that is to say gracious grave grown and experienced Christians 1 Joh. 2.13 14. Such were some of the Saints in the Church at Thessalonica 2 Thes 1.3 4. Your faith grows exceedingly and the love of every one of you all to each other aboundeth The Perfection of Grace is the state of sanctified Believers in Heaven there are the spirits that is the souls of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 Sanctified Believers ought to go on to perfection Heb. 6.1 And they that have received the Promises ought to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and filthiness of spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 2. And God hath ordained the Ministry of the Gospel for the perfecting of the Saints Eph. 4.11 12 13. Until we all come in the unity of Faith unto a perfect man And though the Apostle was not perfect as he confessed yet he pressed toward the mark for the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.12 14. So ought all the Saints to do until they be translated from Earth to Heaven and from Grace to Glory and shall be set down in the Father's house among the Spirits of just men made perfect Thus Jesus Christ who came into the WORLD to save sinners brings them to salvation The next particular in our general Position to be explained is that Jesus Christ came into this WORLD to build up his own House the Church of God As Moses was faithful in the House of God as a servant who did all things about the Tabernacle according to the Pattern shewed unto him by God in the Mount Exod. 25.40 Acts 7.44 Heb. 8.5 So Jesus Christ was faithful unto God that appointed him as a Son over his own House the true Tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not Man Heb. 3.2 3 5 6.
willing to resign your whole Man Spirit Soul and Body unto the Government of Christ as LORD and King to Reign and Rule Guide and Govern you by his holy Spirit and Written Word Not that you can do those things of your selves I have told you without Christ you can do nothing Joh. 15.5 But it is your duty to do them and it is the Free Grace of God to work in you to will and to do according to his good pleasure Phil. 2.12 13. that he so working in you you may work out your own salvation with fear and trembling I would through the Divine Assistance of the Spirit and Grace of God make some Application of this our general Position unto the Churches of Saints for their edification First I most humbly beseech all the Churches of Saints to receive this Doctrine of Christ's Second Personal Coming from Heaven And to believe 1. That when HE comes he will glorifie the House of his Glory Isa 60.1 2 7. and will make Zion an eternal Excellency vers 14.15 22. God will build up Zion and then he shall appear in his Glory Psal 102.13 16. Then shall Zion be the Perfection of Beauty Psal 50.2 Out of which God shall shine In that DAY God shall be his Churches everlasting Light and Glory Isa 60.19 Rev. 21.23 Then shall Christ and his Church be each others Crown and Glory Isa 28.5 In that DAY shall the LORD of Hosts be for a Crown of Glory and for a Diadem of Beauty unto the Residue of his People Isa 62.3 Thou shalt also be a Crown of Glory in the hand of the LORD and a Royal Diadem in the hand of thy God Read Zech. 9.16 and Isa 60.13 2. That when Christ comes He will Restore all his holy Ordinances unto their Primitive Power and Purity yea unto an higher and greater degree of Excellency than in the Apostles Daies God will not only give his Churches of Saints Pastors according to his own heart which shall feed them with knowledge and understanding Jer. 3.14 15. but HE will also pour out his Spirit upon Sons and Daughters and upon the Servants and upon the Hand-maids also God will pour out his Spirit Joel 2.28 31 32. Before the great and terrible DAY of the LORD come The LORD will vouchsafe unto his Churches such Anointing of his holy Spirit as the Apostle John witnesseth and recorded 1 Joh. 2.20 27. But ye have an Unction from the holy ONE and ye know all things c. Read v. 27. and Joh. 6.45 Isa 54.13 Jer. 31.34 It is written in the Prophets And they shall be all taught of God And not only be instructed and led by the holy eternal Spirit into the sound and saving Knowledge of all the Truths in God's written Word as the Truth is in Jesus but they shall see with their Eyes those things fulfilled which they have read and heard out of the written Word of God Matth. 24.33 34 35. That Gospel Ordinance of Praising God will then be with greater spiritualness and with more heavenly mindedness performed in the General Assembly and Church of the first Born where all the Sons of God shall sing together even all the Saints and Angels shall celebrate the high Praises of God together Read Rev. 5.11 12 13. Rev. 11.15 16 17. Rev. 14.1 2 3. Rev. 15.2 3 4. Rev. 19.1 4 5 6 7 8 9. The whole Worship of God shall then be performed by the true Worshippers in Spirit and in Truth according to Christ's Word John 4.23 24. for God will then give all his People one Heart and one Way Jer. 32.38 39 40. to worship him with one Consent Zeph. 3.9 14 16 17 18. In that day shall there be ONE LORD and his Name ONE Zech. 14.9 A Restitution of all things Acts 3.21 3. That when Christ comes his glorious personal and spiritual Presence with his Church Heb. 12.21 23 24. Rev. 22.2 3. will occasion a Confluence of all Comforts Isa 51.3 12. and 66.13 and Zech. 1.13 17. Then Zion shall be adorned with spiritual and glorious Beauty Isa 52.1 9 10. and compassed about with peace and safety God will be as a Wall of Fire round about Zion Zech. 2.5 10. Sing and rejoyce O Daughter of Zion for Lo I come and I will dwell in the midst of thee saith the LORD Read Ezek. 34.23 24 25 28 29 30 31. No Canaanite in the Land of Israel nor none that shall hurt or destroy in all God's holy Mountains Zech. 2.4 Jerusalem shall be inhabited as Towns without walls for God's salvation shall be her walls and bulwarks Isa 26.1 2 3. Then the State of the Church of God will bear some proportional Resemblance to the Kingdom of Heaven for it will then be a sinless state Isa 60.1 21. Zeph. 3.13 and Rev. 14.1 5. and a sorrowless state Rev. 21.1 2 3 4 5. and a timeless state Rev. 10.6 Time shall be no more For the thousand years time of the Church's Glory being finished and all the time of Satan and his Instruments ended who are the Abusers of Time Time shall pass into Eternity of Glory and Beatifical Vision and eternal Life Secondly I would also humbly intreat my Reverend Brethren to declare to the Ministers of Christ Churches of Saints what is noted in the holy Scripture of Truth concerning the WORLD to come the New Heavens and a New Earth and the New Jerusalem Also the Second Personal Coming of our LORD Jesus Christ from Heaven You are commissioned and commanded to declare unto the people the whole counsel of God revealed in his written Word and this Gospel of the Kingdom and Coming of Christ must be preached in all the Inhabited World towards the latter End thereof Matth. 24.14 as a Witness unto all Nations and then shall the End come This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Generation Truth which ought to be Preached and Testified by the Ministers and Churches of Christ in these latter daies though they be killed for bearing this Testimony Rev. 11.3 4 7. Be faithful to Death and Christ will give you a Crown of Life Rev. 2.10 and 12.11 Lastly A word of Consolation to those that do believe pray and wait for the world to come and the Spiritual Glory thereof 1. In general for then the Ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with Songs and everlasting Joy c. Isa 35.10 Then shall be the confluence of all spiritual Comforts to the Church and People of God Isa 60.1 2 3 7 13 19-22 The LORD shall be thy everlasting Light and thy God thy Glory vers 19. All the promises of Grace and Glory shall then be performed which are in Christ Yea and in Christ Amen to the praise and glory of God 2 Cor. 1.20 And then all Prophecies relating to the Churches Spiritual Glory shall be fulfilled Act. 3 19-21 which God hath spoken by the mouth of his holy Prophets Then will be a superabundant pouring out of
not the holy Scripture teach Women professing godliness when they come to pray and worship Gods to adorn themselves in modest Apparel with shamefac'dness and sobriety not with broidered hair or costly Aray 1 Tim. 2.8 9 10 11 12. 1 Pet. 3.3 4 5 6. And more especially in daies of Humiliation and Tribulation even at such a time as this which is indeed a perillous time Read Exod. 33.4 5 6 7. Isa 3 16-24 Another Character of those Apostates of the last Daies is Truce-breakers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Covenant-breakers such as do break their Oaths Vows Promises Ingagements Oh how guilty have some Courtiers Counsellors Souldiers Mareners Citizens Professors and Church-Members been of those hainous sins Read the Army-Remonstrance 1648. and that Book intituled A Looking-glass for the ARMY in which Book you may find collected the Vows Promises and Covenants that those Sword-bearing Professors made and several of them brake To say nothing of the Scots and English Covenants so solemnly taken in their Parish-Churches Many Professors have broken God's Covenant as Israel did Jer. 31.23 Which my Covenant they brake Another Character of the Apostates of the last Daies is False-accusers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Calumniators Devils incarnate such are those false witnesses that rise up against men and do falsly accuse them Psal 35.11 And when may false witnesses do not agree in their Testimony which men suborned at last comes other false witnesses and then the Sentence of Death is given and afterwards executed Thus they dealt with the Lord of Life and put him to death Matth. 26.59 60. and with Stephen Act. 6.11 12 13. and stoned him to death Another Character of the Apostates of the last Daies is this Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God Who more than rich Professors for fine Clothes sumptuous Houses delicate Fare costly Furniture and Court-fashions wherein they have exceeded since the Burning of the City besides other vain Pleasures wherein they have delighted themselves more than in the waies of God and Godliness Amos 6.1 Woe to them that are secure in Zion Ver. 3. Ye that put far away the evil day V. 4. That lye upon Beds of Ivory V. 5. That chant to the sound of the Viol. V. 6. That drink Wine in Bowls But they are not grieved for the Affliction of Joseph The last Character of these Apostates in the last Daies which is a sign of the Ending-Time of this Evil WORLD is this viz. Having a Form of Godliness but denying the Power thereof To have a Form of Godliness is to hold on in Religious duties and Gospel-Ordinances as Praying in their Families often hearing Sermons attending daies of publick Fasting and of Thanksgiving also frequent Assembling themselves with the separated Congregations of Saints and therein partake of all Gospel-Administrations such are Sinners in Zion and Hypocrites like them Isa 33.14 yet are lovers of themselves and lovers of Pleasures more than God Christ Godliness and the poor afflicted Children of God Proud-Professors Covetous Church-Members Covenant-breakers and false-accusers denying the Power of Godliness For though these Apostates profess they know God yet in works they deny him Tit. 1.16 Read Isa 1.11 12 13 14 15. Isa 6.2 3 4. I am not against the True Form of Godliness that is to say Church-Fellowship and Gospel Order and the Worship of God in Spirit and in Truth according to the Constitutions of Jesus Christ and his Apostles But I thus speak and write to open and expound the words of this Prophecy Another Sign of the Ending-Time of this world is the abounding of Iniquity among the profane persons of the world Mat. 24.3 12. Tell us what shall be the sign of thy Coming and of the End of the world And Jesus answered and said unto them Iniquity shall abound The Apostle also tells us 1 Joh. 5.19 The whole world lyeth in wickedness Ungodliness was the destruction of the Old World Gen. 6.5 6 7. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the Earth V. 5. And the Lord said I will destroy Man from the face of the Earth V. 7. The destruction of the Old World was by the Flood but the desolation of the world that now is shall be by Fire 2 Pet. 3.6 7. The Earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up By Iniquity we are to understand those Immoralities and abominable wickednesses that are committed and practised by ungodly men who declare their sins as Sodom and boast of their abominations Now Reader consider how doth Iniquity abound to wit Adultery that hath gotten a Whores forehead which is not ashamed of that abomination Also profane and false-swearing which is an abomination to the Lord who hateth profane and false Oaths And Drunkenness which so unmans men and so effeminates them that they are thereby fit for nothing but sinfulness wantonness lasciviousness and all manner of wickedness Likewise oppression violence robbery injustice bribery and all sorts of unrighteousness Lastly Persecution Imprisonment and Banishment for Preaching the Lord Jesus Christ and Practising the Ordinances of the Gospel Do not these Iniquities abound in our daies I think that the Inhabitants of this Nation do abound in these Iniquities much more than in former Ages Another Sign of the Ending-Time of this World is that great Tribulation which our blessed Saviour spake of Mat. 24.21 29 30. This is that hour of Temptation which Christ said shall come upon all the world Rev. 3.10 11. This day of Tribulation will be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time Dan. 12 1-4 Shut up the words and seal the Book even to the Time of the End The Tribulation of the People of God will be the War that the Roman Beast will make against Christ's two Prophetical Witnesses wherein he shall overcome them and kill them Rev. 11.7 See my Exposition of that Chapter and Verse Printed 1679. And the Tribulation of the Roman Beast the great Whore and the false Prophet will be the seven Vials of the last Plagues of God Almighty which shall be poured forth upon Mystery Babylon the great Rev. 16.17 18 19 20 21. And the seventh Angel poured out his Vial into the Air and there came a great voice out of the Temple of Heaven from the Throne saying It is done And there were voices and thunders and lightnings And there was a great Earthquake such as was not since men were upon the Earth so mighty an Earthquake and so great And the great City was divided into three parts and the Cities of the Nations fell and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the Cup of the Wine of the fierceness of his wrath And every Island fled away and the Mountains were not found And there fell upon men a great Hail out of Heaven every stone about the weight of a talent and men blasphemed God because of the Plague of the
Hail for the Plague thereof was exceeding great And immediately after the Tribulation of these daies they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great glory Matth. 24. v. 29 30. Then will Christ take unto him his great Power and Reign he will create New Heavens and a New Earth wherein dwells Righteousness Isa 65.17 66.22 2 Pet. 3.13 Rev. 21 2-5 And he that sate upon the Throne said Behold I make all things New Now this New Creation is the WORLD to come CHAP. V. Of Separation § 1. GOD did separate his Antient People the Jews from all other People in the World to be his peculiar People to worship him according to his Institutions and Commandments Levit. 20.24 26. And God hath commanded the Believing Gentiles to be separated from Idolaters and Unbelievers or Infidels and to have no Communion or Fellowship with them in any false Worship 2 Cor. 6 14-18 § 2. But though Believers may be and ought to abide separated from the Worship and Worshippers of Idols in their Temples (a) 2 Cor. 6.16 17. and from the Worship of the Unbelieving Jews in their Synagogues (b) Act. 19.8 9. And also from the Worship and Worshippers of the Beast or his Image (c) Rev. 14.9 10. 20.4 and from the Assemblies of all false Worshippers and from all false Worship yet sanctified Believers ought not to separate themselves from the true Churches of God and of his Saints that Worship him in Spirit and in Truth and walk in the Faith and Order of the Gospel according to the Rule of the written Word of God so far as they have attained § 3. The most pure Churches of Saints on Earth are subject to mixture some false Brethren may creep into a Church of Christ unawares (d) Gal. 2.4 and some false Teachers too (e) 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5 8. Men of corrupt minds and corrupt manners also (f) 2 Cor. 2.17 And there may be some Errours in Doctrine and some Evils in Conversation among them as there was among some of the Churches of Christ in Asia in the Apostles time (g) Rev. 2.14 15 20 24. But yet Believers ought not to separate themselves from those Churches of Saints whereof they are Members for those Errours in Doctrine or Evils in Conversation until they have first faithfully and orderly born their testimony against them secondly until they have humbly entreated the Church and the Ministers thereof to Reform those things that are amiss among them and thirdly until the Church and the Ministers thereof do utterly Refuse to Reform those Errours in Doctrine and those Evils in Conversation among them § 4. The Ministers and Members of the Churches of God ought to imitate Christ in this matter and to follow his steps Our LORD Jesus Christ did see many things amiss in some of the Churches in Asia viz. unsound Doctrines and corrupt Manners to wit the Doctrine and Deeds of the Nicolaitans which Christ hated c. But notwithstanding Christ did not presently forsake those Churches nor did he command any of the Ministers or Members thereof to separate themselves from them neither did Christ blame any Believers that were sound in their Judgments and holy in their Conversations for holding Communion with those Churches But Jesus Christ did first bear his Testimony against those Errours in Doctrine and Corruptions in Conversation Secondly Christ called upon the Church and Angel to Repent and Reform what was amiss And Thirdly Christ gave them space to Repent and waited for their Amendment before he did forsake them Read the second and third chapters of the Revelation And therefore I conclude That none of the Ministers nor Members of any true Church of God ought to separate themselves from the Church nor ought they to forsake the Assembling of themselves with the Church nor absent themselves from any part of the true Worship of God nor turn their back of any Gospel-Ordinance of Christ in the Church because of Offence against any Member or Minister in the Church But they ought to bear and have patience and to wait upon Christ and his Church until such Offenders be orderly proceeded against and those offences be reformed or removed by the Laws of God's House Or else until the Candlestick be removed out of its place for suffering those Errours in Doctrine or Corruptions in Manners and Conversation and for adding impenitency unto such impiety iniquity suffered and indulged in the Church by the Ministers therein and by the Members thereof to the dishonour of God the scandal of the Gospel and the great offence and grief of the godly who have walked orderly and have not defiled their Garments but have watched and kept themselves unspotted of the world and uncorrupted with those Evils in the Church which would not be healed and therefore ought to be forsaken and separated from by the faithful Ministers of Christ and all the holy People of God Seeing then that the Ending Time of this evil world will be so perillous and a Day of so great Tribulation I do intreat both unconverted Sinners and sanctified Believers to suffer a word of Exhortation I do therefore exhort unconverted Sinners upon whom the End of this WORLD is coming by Death or Dissolution That you would come to Christ Believe in Jesus Christ and Repent of your sins First I exhort you to come to Christ for there is not salvation in any other Acts 4.12 If you will not come to Christ whilst you live you will certainly go to Hell when you dye Psal 9.17 Some poor sinner haply will say Alas I am a vile sinful sinner I am unworthy may I presume to come unto Christ Yes Jesus Christ who came into the world to save the chiefest of sinners doth invite all that will to come unto him Isa 55.1 2 3. Rev. 22. v. 17. But if I do come unto Christ will he not refuse me and reject me and cast me off No! Joh. 6.37 Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out Some poor lost sinner may haply say Indeed I see a great need of Christ to justifie me and to sanctifie me and to save me but I know not how to come to Christ I cannot come to Christ what shall I do I answer It is true no man can come to Christ except the Father draw him John 6.44 but God the Father doth draw sinners unto Christ with his Cords of Love Jer. 31.3 Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting Love therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee Though thou canst not come to Christ yet know that the Lord Jesus Christ can and will come to thee and teach thee to go to him as he did Ephraim Hos 11.3 4. The danger is not in thy own Inability that thou canst not come to Christ accept of Christ and take Christ upon Gospel-terms of Free Grace but thy souls danger lyeth in thy