he that is born of God desire his Fathers face the Kings face the light of his Countenance this made David and so maketh it all the Children of God say We have more joy and gladness in the light of our Fathers Countenance though it were shut up in a Dungeon with Bread and Water than they whose Corn and Oyl and Wine doth abound Now whereas it is said The Scriptures are plain evident and manifest in themselves they have a secret glory Majesty and Purity in them which mans writings in his own wisdom have not and this abundantly manifests them to the spiritual Eye I grant it is so and certainly knows it to be so which makes them so precious unto me but consider a little what this Glory Majesty Plainness Purity c. is which makes them Manifest and to whom it Manifests them Such an Example will somewhat figure it forth having first known such a man of rare beauty comeliness and majesty which appears in his countenance and afterwards seeing his Portrait drawn so exactly as a Pensel could do this Image or Portrait has a pretty lively representation of him and the Characters of his Beauty and the Majesty of his Countenance appear somewhat in the Portrait whereby I Manifestly know That it is the representation of such a Man Now these Characters of Beauty and Majesty in the Image come far short of the Mans countenance and it was the seeing of him first made me know his Image to be his and so the glory and beauty of his Face may be called Primarie but that in the Portrâ—… Secondary or Derivative and the seeing himself makes me believe that it is his Description and it is Manifest enough so I reading in the Scripture wherein there are as it were rare and excellent draughts shaddowing forth Jesus Christ and I then coming to know himself the Scriptures lye open and plain unto me and they are very evident and manifest but to him that never saw the King of Glory himself they are hid and as a sealed Book and he who has heard God himself speak will manifestly know the words writ or declared by others in whom he has also spoken and he stands near himself to testifie and witness to the truth of these words which come from himself So Queen Sheba easily believed the report concerning Solomon and his wealth when she saw it and I reading the Description of such a Countrey I have been in and travelled thorow it is easie for me to know whether it be true or false and I being so long a hearer of such a Man speaking from word of mouth and afterwards reading a book containing his words I know them to be his having heard him before but the words as they lye in a book come far short of these which proceedeth from his own mouth for these had much móre Life and Power with them Then how much more do the words Immediately proceeding out of the Mouth of God excell a Declaration or writing of them though they be also precious and excellent but where the Word of the King himself is there is Power and blessed are they who know this joyful sound of the Voice of the living God in their hearts and have thus learned the truth as it is in Jesus having so learned Christ having heard himself and so having him the Witness in themselves Ephes. 4. 21. 1 Iohn 5. 10. They are built on a sure Foundation which gives them fullness of Assurance That the Prophets and Apostles Doctrine is of God having found himself Come and seen him of whom Moses and the Prophets wrot Iohn 1. 45. 46. And as it was the Spirit of Jesus Christ Witnessing in the hearts of them who believed to the Truth of the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles by which they were made Manifest in their Consciences and their words were believed which proceeded Immediately from their own Mouthes and seeing that was necessary then it must be also necessary now also much if not much more seeing these Apostles and Prophets are not alive themselves in the flesh to tell us that they spoke or wrot so but that their writings are transmitted to us through many generations from hand to hand and no question they have fallen into enemies hands and how can a man be so fully assured as is sufficient for his Salvation but that Papists Iews and others who had them before us have wronged them and both added and taken away and altered if the Spirit of the Lord perswade him not to the contrary seeing it is possible they might have done so if the Lord had permitted and what a light Foundation have they to their Faith which men of corrupt minds or Devils or any powers whatsoever of this World may brangle spoile corrupt add to or take from for as we know through the rich mercy and gracious Providence of God the Lord hath so wonderfully preserved the Scriptures Testimony so far uncorrupt and pure as that they abundantly testifie the true foundation and these things sufficient for Salvation not that they are sufficient themselves but they abundantly testifie to that which is sufficient and this we know by the Spirit of God that wrought them but what a tottering and Lubrick and uncertain Foundation ye have made to your selves some of you affirming and these men of great account with you that the points of the Hebrew Coppies in which Language the old Testament was writ are but mens aditions and the first writers used them not and it is affirmed by many of your selves they are but a late invention Now what a great difference and considerable the pointing makes any skilled in that Language but a little may know the points being the vowells even so great that the points otherwaies set or added may not only alter one or more words but whole sentances and if so what a loss are ye at in your Foundation I found it only to touch this a little and refer the Reader to Sammâ—…el Fishers Book where he treats of this at large and Iohn Owen Confesseth the points or vowels to be so weighty that if they be invented or added since the writeing of the Scriptures by fallible men it mightily threatens the ruine of the Christian Faith thus he in words to the same purpose as may be seen in his book and yet these men who set forth the Biblia Polyglotta and many others affirm the points to be added since or that the contrarie is not Certain but they are happy whose Faith depends not on mans saying or unsaying but on that Word which was in the beginning and this only can certifie us of the Scriptures Argument 12. And as by the Spirit of Jesus Christ his Revealing Immediately in mans heart and bearing testimony to the Scriptures that they are of God and writ from his inspiring and moving of these holy Men of God who penned them Man can only be sufficiently perswaded to believe them so this can only
word of life declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Lo how he declaâ—…eth that his fellowship was with the Son Jesus Christ. Though long before now his appearance after the Flesh was removed yet he had fellowship with that Life which remained and more gloriously appeared after he was taken up the Life which was in the beginning that he that heard saw and handled not with that which is born of the Flesh but of the Spirit and was partaker off even that Divine Nature or Life 2 Pet. 1. 4. And this Apostle Iohn calls it by other names such as the seed of God the Anointing or Unction the Truth c. And in Revel He calls it the Lamb and the Word of God And thus I have gone thorow Moses Prophets Christ himself in the dayes of his Flesh and his Apostles their Testimony concerning this Foundation or fundamental Principle which as they witnessed a Foundation and Fountain of Blessedness Life Joy and peace in themselves a substance beyond all Shaddows Words Pleasures Representations Comprehensions or Thoughts so they pointed their Hearers hereto and this was the work of their Ministry That people being brought to heâ—…r see handle and pareake of this Life in themselves they might have fellowship with them therein and so let People try themselves and the Churches they are Members off if they be built on this Foundation the Word of Life which was in the beginning or if they have never come to know any other Foundation as yet but words from without and from which they never knew any other ground to believe them but here say from man and not hearing the voice of God himself their Foundation is but false their Faith false their Church and Worship and their whole Religon is false and vain Argument II. And this was it to witt the Revelation of Jâ—…us Christ and the hearing of his own Voice by which these who heard the Ministers and Apostles sent by him believed their words and the things by them declared for had it not been this they comeing forth declaring of such unheard of things and so unlike so unprobable so foolish to the wisdom of Flesh and Blood they could never have been received nor gained such ground upon the World as they did This is somewhat touched before but is some-what more fully to be treated of here being so weighty This was it that gave to the people a proof of their Ministracy and Call and message that it was of God he who sent them Christ the Word which was in the beginning and spoke in them to the people the same spoke and beas Testimony to the same words and things declared by the words in the Hearts and Consciences of the hearers and this made them and their Doctrine Manifest they had no other proof so sufficient as this and this without any other was sufficient and so necessary that nothing else could certainly perswade them for many of the Prophets wrought no Miracles nor did they alwaies tell of things to come and how many were Converted to the Faith who never saw any outward Miracle wrought and these who were past feeling or discerning the witness of God in themselves would not believe for all the Miracles or other outward appearance they called them devilry and the like for their hearts were hardned and the heart that is hardned hath the ear that should hear stopped and the eye blinded so was it with Pharaoh and his servants yea and many times with the people of the Iews themselves but they who had the ear to hear the inward ear in the sensible heart did hear and such a power oft times went along with the Messengers of the Lord that it rent the hard Rockie heart and broke it in pieces and made iâ—… sensible and quickned the dead and opened an ear to hear the word in themselves and so the Lords Messengers declaring in the power and Word of God that spoke in them they directed them to hear that Word in themselves He that hath an 〈◊〉 to â—…ear said Iohn let him hear what the Spiriâ—… saith to the Churches And Ieâ—…miah said If ye will not hear within in secret as I have read it in a Latin Translation my Soul shall weep for you Hear the word of the Lord said they this was their Authority their Proof they had not aâ—… he and as this cleared their Call and the truth of their Message in themselves so did it in their hearers and nothing else could do it but that Word the word of Truth the word of Faith to which Moses pointed the Iews and Paul the Romans in their hearts and this made them Manifest and their Doctrine and witnessed to them was a Seal of confirmation unto it I have given him said the Lord as it is writ Isa. 55. 4. For a witness to the People and Revel 1. 5. He is called the faithfull witness See further Mal. 3. 5. Mica 1. 2. Clear Testimonies for this and he who believed had the witness in himself 1 Iohn 5. 10. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness Christ the witness in himself and in the Testimony of this witness which said Amen to the words spoken thorow the Lords Messengers stood ther Faith not in their words but in the word in themselves testifying thereto and they believed not because they heard them but because they heard himself as did the Samaritans John 4. 42. And this is the Testimony of God which is greater than the Testimony of Man for which it is blessed and so their Faith stands in that which cannot be shaken let men be shaken and tossed and driven to another thing or testimony yet the Foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal this Witness in ones self and the Faith that comes thus stands in the power of God the word of Power which witnesseth in them God speaking himself in them and this is the so called formal object of Faith Papists and Protestants so contend for both agreeing in this That it is God speaking which is the formal object But quoth the Papists It is the speaking in the Church of Rome and so upon the matter They make it her Tradition No quoth the now Protestant the degenerate Protestant for the pure primitive Protestants owned the true Foundation with us though their discovery of it was but little God speaking in the Scriptures is the object formal of our Faith or Foundation of it viz. The chief moving cause or medium ex parte Objecti why the Scriptures are to be believed which is in effect to make the Scriptures themselves it for they deny that God speaks in Man's heart or reveals immediately in man by voice or word of mouth from himself by way of object So that that which is heard seen or felt is not any object imrevealed from God himself that word it self
Immediate Revelation OR Jesus Christ the Eternall Son of God revealed in man and revealing the knowledge of God and the things of his Kingdom immediately OR The Holy Ghost the Holy Spirit of promise the spirit of Prophecy poured forth and inspiring man and induing him with power from on high and baptising him thereunto giving him wisdom understanding and knowledge from above and giving to some utterance and moving them by his own immediate assistance to speak forth and declare the wonderful things of God NOT CEASED But remaining a standing and perpetual Ordinance in the Church of Christ and being of indispensible necessity as to the whole body in general so to every member thereof every true Believer in particular asserted and demonstrated And the objections that have any seeming weight against it answered Prov. 29. 18. Where there is no vision the people Perish Writ by George Keith Prisoner for the Truth in the Tolbooth of Aberdein the 29th of the third Moneth 1665. Printed in the Year 1668. A few words by way of Preface IT hath been in my heart once and again from the Lord to write some things unto the people and especially the Professors of this Nation concerning this great and weighty matter of Immediate Revelation which they say both Teachers and People is ceased we say is remaining and we know it to be so from the blessed experience given us of God therein even that it remaineth and is of necessary continuance in the true Church and among the true Saints and is not only necessary for the preservation safety and comfortable walking of the Saints with God but is also necessary in order to men and womens becoming Saints for through Immediate Revelation it is that any man who is naturally void of the true and saving knowledge of God and acquaintance with him comes to attain it The discussing of this controversie is of very great weight for this error of theirs concerning Immediate Revelation is such a Fundamental one that the greatest part of their other errors are built on it and indeed the whole superstructure of their Church and Ministry and Worship at to its outward constitution so that if this their foundation be found and discovered to be false viz. That there is no Immmediate Revelations now a dayes as the common priviledge of the Saints then down falls the whole superstructure of the outward constitution of their Church Ministry and Worship which all of necessity must be false if the foundation on which they are builded be such And here I shal instance several particulars of great weight which are all built upon this false foundation aforesaid 1. That the Scriptures outward testimony is most necessary and that no true and saving Knowledge of God is to be attained but by the Scriptures being read or heard 2. That there is no immediate furnishing gifting and fitting and qualifying men to be Teachers in the Church by immediate inspiration and pouring forth of the spirit of prophesie without any respect had to sex or humane qualifications of better learning such as was frequent in 〈◊〉 Apostles times as in Acts 2. 1. Cor. 14. All this say they is ceased so James Durham a noted man among the Presbyterians saith pag. 471. in his digression concerning prophecying that as it is taken for an immediate revealing of Gospel truths it is now ceased so say they generally hence their Divinity Schools and Colledges are come up both among Papists and Protestants whereby young men being sent of their Relations in order to a lively-hood learn the Art and Trade of preaching and praying and continues so many years till they be licentiated as ever a Shoo maker or other Tradesman serves his Apprenticeship and they make humane learning or the knowledge of Letters and essential qualification to a Minister so as he cannot be a Minister without it but grace only accidentall and not necessary to his being a Minister but to his better being so the aforesaid I. D. now such a learning of the things of God as is taught by man Divinely inspired who teach from the inspiration of God in them and whose care it is to turn and bring up them whom they teach unto the same light life and spirit of God from which they speak that they may learn in that and so come to be partakers with them of the same knowledge and wisdom from the same fountain we dearly own such was the School of the Prophets where the Teachers were the true Prophets of God and taught from Gods spirit in them whose teachings being in the evidence and demonstration of Gods spirit proved effectual unto the Schollars or learners so that they became prophets also and received of the same spirit and this dispensation which was both among Prophets and Apostles we witness to be among us through the mercy and goodness of the Lord at this day even the poâ—…ring forth the spirit of the Lord no less upon the hearers then was at first upon the Teachers whereby they also are become able to teach others both males and females prophecying or speaking forth the great things of God as the spirit gives utterance declaring the great things of the Gospel in its effectual workings on their own hearts now that Prophecying is frequently taken in Scripture in this sence and not only for a foretelling of things to come is clear from Rom. 12. 6. Rev. 10. 11. 11. 13. 19. 10. compared to Rev. 12. 17. Joel 2. 28. 1 Cor. 14. 24. 31. 3dly Another great error following upon the aforesaid is that no man in these dayes is infallibly assisted to write speak preach or pray or praise as the Prophets and Apostles and Evangelists witnessed of old 4thly That there is no Immediate Call unto the Ministry 5thly That none are to wait for an inward call motion impulse or inspiration and assistance to preach or pray or give thanks so as to forbear until it be given them Nor that any should expect an Immediate Call and impulse or motion to the doing of any thing whatsomever that way being ceased 6thly That the Scriptures are a filled up Canon and the only rule of faith and obedience in all things and no more Scriptures to be writ or given forth from the spirit of the Lord. 7thly That their is no infallible way of discerning the true Ministers and Members of Iesus Christ as who be living and wâ—…o not whence proceeds that promiscuous mâ—…t multitude of teachers people where of their Church is composed who are generally void of any experience of a gratious work on their hearts The Controversie truly stated and clearly and distinctly opened Concerning Immediate Revelation whether ceased or remaining and needful to remain in the true Church BEcause in all matters of debate the true State of the controversie is so needful to be known that without the clear and distinct knowledge thereof The arguments brought to prove the thing affirmed do not so manifestly convince nor
they to long as they abide in their opinion which is that these things aforesaid are not objective in themselves and so are not sensible or feelable nor can men have a feeling or tasting of them but there are some among the people who are ashamed of this answer of the priests and affirm against them with us that the power vertue spirit light life of God may be seen felt relished and tasted of in it felf no less then the natural vertue of natural things as of spices flowers oyntments wine and bread light and warmth can be felt and descerned to the natural sences Now if any grant that the things aforesaid and the divine power vertue light life and spirit of God can in itself be felt and tasted of that it is sensible by or unto the spiritual mind such must also grant that it is objective for because it is objective therefore it is sensible or may be felt as because outward light and colours are objective therefore they are visible or I can see them and because an outward sound is objective therefore it is audible and I can hear it and so of the rest for what ever is objective is sensible and whatever is sensible feelable or perceiveable in it self is objective but what is not objective is not feelable cannot be felt tasted favoured And so if the Lord himself be not objectively manifest in us he cannot be seen nor heard nor tasted nor felt and thus it is according to the School men and national teachers doctrine who generally being men void of all sence and feeling of God have in the blindness of their minds and in the wisdom from below that is carnal earthly and divilish framed and invented this perverse doctrine for their own gains and ends that all seeing and hearing of God himself or immediate converse with him by object ve manifestations is not a thing to be expected as being ceased and never given as a general priviledge unto the Saints but only unto some particular persons by way of special priviledg and extraordinary and some who have both seen and tasted the things of God in themselves in some small measure have been staggered through their leaning more unto the false Doctrine of their teachers in this thing then unto their own felt and known experience whereby I am perswaded some contrary to what they have sâ—…en heard tasted and felt from the presence and appearance of God in themselves have denyed objective Immediate Revelation and used that distinction with others of subjective or effective and objective revelations affirming the effective and subjective only to remain but denying the objective This distinction I find not only used by Robert Baron an Episcopal man who some years ago professed to teach Theologie in the City of Aberdeen who in his book intituled Apodixis Catholica de formali objecti fidei treats of it at large and calls the revelation ex parte subjesti medium incognitum as aforesaid but that ex parte objecti medium cognitum a known midst Tract 9 Anth. Dup puncto 2. num 14. 14. 15. p. 6. num 5. 6. But also I finde it made use off by George Gillespie a man famous in the Presbyterian way in his book of miscellanies cap. 21. pag. 261. And the national Teachers to day both Episcopal and Presbyterial much use it affirming all objective manifestations of the very truths of the Gospel and essentials of religion to be ceased and no otherway to be objectively revealed but by the Scriptures outward Testimony so that but as a man bears such and such worde of Scripture in his minde and is exercised in the thinking meditating and turning them over and over in his minde at such and such times he only hath the actual knowledge of God but if he should come to such a stilness and silence of minde as not to think upon scripture words and turn them over in his mind or not to have the eye of his understanding fixed upon them in that time he should have no actual knowledge of God or any of the things of his kingdom because they are the alone objective manifestations of the things of God of God so if they be out of view they can know nothing actually as when the object is removed out of my sight I cannot see it and if it be removed out of the view of my mind I cannot remember it We on the contrary affirm and I affirm it from the manifold and blessed experience given me thereof from God and many are witnesses with me in this matter to the stopping the mouthes of all gainsayers that God himself his power vertue light life and spirit his truth his goodness holyness rightteousness his beauty and glory is prelent in us by way of object is objectively manifest so that he can be heard seen tasted and felt if all scripture words were out of our present remembrance so that if we had not one scripture expression in our veiw to mind it or turn it up and down in our minds we could feel and enjoy the Lord and have fellowship with him whose eternal life vertue and power is present as a most glorious object in us so that if we retain this object God in our knowledge in our mind in our feeling in the seed and birth of his own sowing and begetting in us and all words should be let pass so as not at that time to mind them we should have and often have had a true knowledge and enjoyment of God even beyond what ever any words could contribute unto us yet we despise not words nay we dearly esteem and value them as a sweet and pretious testimony of the eternal life from which they came but then only do we feel and find the sweetness and comfort of them when the same eternal life which first breathed them forth doth either again breath or speak them forth in us or sendeth forth of his living and powerful influences into them as they have a place in our minds or memories which when that life withdraws its influences from them though they remain in our minds they are but as an empty vessel which we cannot make use off for our refreshment till the life again open and send forth of its living streams into them so but as the life influenceth them we lay them by out of our very thoughts for we find it to hurt and weaken and deaden us to thiâ—…k any thoughts even from the Scriptures but as the life and spirit of God influenceth and concurreth so that we still are for putting the Scripture in such a close conjunction with the life and spirit from which they came that we may not nor dare not make use of the Scripture but in the life and spirit as that opens and influenceth so that we are not for separating the letter from the spirit or the words from the word and life but for conjoyning them these only separate the letter or the
an other of them but more especially the Teachers and Ministers and Bishops so called so stifly and furiously opposing it and the assertors and witnesses thereof to the stirring up of the Rulers and powers of the earth to persecute them with prisoning banishment and other cruel usages and spoyling of their goods and the people through the instigation of their Teachers who falsely in many things report us not only cruely mock and revile us but many of them fall a beating and buffeting of us for the truths fake and in love and compassion to their souls and in the fear and will of the Lord I am drawn to give my Testimony concerning this and to hold forth to the people the Truth and neâ—…y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 demonstrating it in so far forth as words may be serviceable thereto according to the measure of knowledge I have received from the Lord concerning this thing That our persecutors such of them who through the ignorance that is in them oppose us being informed and convinced of this truth by the light of Christ which shineth in their consciences in the darkness which will not faâ—… to testifie and witness to the truth of my testimony herein may cease any further cruel using of us least they be found fighters against God and cause the innocent to suffer which the righteous judge of the world will not suffer to paâ—… unrevenged and for the sake of the poor people of this Nation â—…or indeed for want of the knowledge of the unsearchable riches of Christ who are as lost sheep going astray upon the barren mountains whether their shepherds have driven them in this cloudy dark day or rather night of thick Aegyptian darkness wherewith they are so blinded in their minds that they are past feeling of God his heavenly power and vertue the only true food of their souls the only true pasture and fold of rest their resting place which the most of them never knew and such who at any time have known any thing of it have forgotten it Oh what a letâ—…argie has overtaken them who have so long and so much professed the name of Jesus Christ among whom there have been some who in some measure sometime a day could feelingly and experimentally speak of what God had done in their souls what Christ had wrought in them could â—…ell of sweet hours of fellowship and communion with him his coming into their souls and supping with them and they with him his revealing the bid invisible in comprehensible inconceivable to the natural understanding glory of his love and shedding it abroad in their souls speaking in them words oâ—… lâ—…e words of power living words spirit and life inutterable impossible to be expressed speaking as never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoke or could speak could they have any satisfaction but in his presence his life giving countenance but in the voice of their beloved could it content them to hear man speak when their beloved spoke not was it not a burden unto them to hear or read what God had wrought in them but as the living voice of the beloved of their souls did accompany and witness afresh these things in them causing their hearts to burn and earn with in them he opening in them the Scriptures opening their understandings how did their hearts burn with coals of Love kindled at the fountain God who is love how did their hearts leap for joy at the sound of his voice how were there bowels moved in them when he spoke how did the handles of the lock drop with sweet smelling myrrhe when they rose up to open to their beloved how could they discern when he spoke It is the voice of my beloved could they say that speaketh unto me arise my beloved my fair one and come away Such and the like experiences as we read that the people of the Lord witnessed in the Scriptures so could some who have lived in this Nation and perhaps some yet living witness the same also and could have said A men to the truth of all these things but alas alas into what a dead sleep and letâ—…argie are they fallen which has so stupified and benummed them that they are become past feeling of these sweet experiences how has the thick darkness whereinto they are fallen and are sunk so choaked them and quite wiped out the true remembrance of these things they have so forgot them as if they had never known them and now they are turned with the sons of Belial to mock at these things calling them fancy delusion imagination melancholly some hypochondriack humor a spirit of witcherie and delusion and to persecute them who witness this blessed dispensation of life and glory though in a more steddy and fuller manner and measure and to 〈◊〉 the servants and Ministers thereof with the â—…me of deceivers and false Prophets oh oh how have ye fallen from heaven to earth how are ye sunk into the pit wherein there is no â—…ater how have ye lost your glory turned your glory into shame and followed after lying vanities how have ye suffered your selves to be â—…ulled a sleep in the whores lap with her bewitching vâ—… who hath cut your Locks wherein your strength lay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is departed from you and the Philistines mock you having put out your eyes and you are become a hissing and reproach to day and yet ye will not cease to reproach you are spoiled your selves and yet ye will not cease to spoil the enemy is getting his will of you to the causing of you shrink from your cause ye have lost your ground ye have thought shame of your cause that which by you was called the cause of God the Covenant and oath of God the work and interest and concernment of Jesus Christ ye have left it at your heels and the most of you trampled on it and now ye fret and rage because ye are provoked to jealousie by a people that are no people poor and despiseable in this world but rich and honourable with God unto whom the Kingdom is given it is taken from you for that ye have not brought forth the fruits worthy of it and it is given unto them a Kingdom which is righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost and heavenly Kingdom that cannot be shaken wherein these despiseable ones stand in the Lambs power and reign in victory and dominion in the midst of their sufferings as Kings and Princes unto God over all the cruelty and persecution of their opposers and now ye are joyning issue with them against us whom ye looked upon and dealt with them as your enemies and called them the enemies of God limbs of Antichrist Antichristian ye have associated with them become one body and Church with them plead for their Ministry and Worship that at least if it be not so good as ye would desire yet its lawful and better then to want all and ye go and hear such men up and down the Land whom ye know to have dealt
not that light but were sent to bear witness of that light which is the light of the world and lighteth every man that cometh into it that by believing in the light he may know God and be saved for God willeth all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth and Christ said it is expedient for you that I go away else the comforter will not come even the spirit of truth whom I will send and he will lead you into all truth and bring things to your remembrance and give you wisdom and knowledge and power that all your enemies shall not be able to resist and this spirit was to furnish and back them in their Ministry else they had never gained such ground upon the world when I am ascended said he I will draw all men after me and this spirit they witnessed sent into their hearts teaching them what and how to speak and what they declared unto the people inwards from the spirit of Life of Jesus Christ revealed in them the same spirit and answered and testified to the truth of these things in their hearers that was it which convinced the world of sin righteousness and judgement that was it which made them manifest to be of God made them manifest in the consciences of their hearers thorough the manifestation of the truth Christ the truth the spirit of truth they were commended or approved to every mans conscience in the sight of God and if they or their Gospel was hid it was to them whose minds were blinded who were past feeling of the spirit of God which convinceth reproveth demonstrateth and maketh manifest and on such their words could get no ground but they persecuted and opposed them as fools and mad men so by that is said you may understand that word â—…even the best cannot give the knowledge of God and though Christ in the dayes of his flesh taught them many things yet how were they hid from them they were even very ignorant of many weighty things and could not then receive them or bear them at have many things said he that ye cannot bear as yet but when the spirit the comforter shall come he shall teach you all things and lead you into all truth and be with you for ever and when this spirit was poured forth then their narrow understandings were opened and enlarged to know these things which formerly they could not bear nor receive whereby it may appear sufficiently to any man or men of true understanding that the outward Revelation or discovery by words spoken from without of Christ or any of his Disciples or Apostles cannot reveal the Father nor the Son for if it was iâ—…ot sufficient to the Church his bodily presence his reaching them outwardly by word of month face to face but he said 〈◊〉 was expâ—… that he should go away from them and he would send another teacher who would do greater things and more manifestly and glorâ—…ously reveal unto them God and the things of his Kingdom if Christs bodily presence in his flesh was not sufficient of it self to minister though he spoke as never man spoke lyes I say if this ministration was not sufficient but a more glorious they were to expect and as they waited they witnessed it fulfiled and come unto them then farâ—…less is the outward ministration of any other man or men whomsoever sufficient for that effect for if Christ be not any more to be known after the flesh much less any other man nor is their knowledge they can receive from any other man to be rested in seeing the knowledge of Christ after the flesh was not sufficient nor to be rested in but they were to look for a better a more clear and full manifestation in themselves he appearing in a spiritual glorious heavenly misterious way in their hearts even such a way as the world cannot know him or receive him which made Indas nâ—…t Iscaeriot to wonder and question him saying how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world And it will yet further appear how insufficient words even the best of words Scripture words though there were as many books of Scripture as thâ—…â—…hole world could contain are to reveal or to give the knowledge of God unto man many yea the most of things natural and created cannot be understood of or by words words being but figures emblems signs and representations of things come always short of the things themselves unless they be lying words which go beyond the truth and these come far shorter and the knowledge they can give is but false and a lye what words can give a man the true and sufficient knowledge of the Sun can the best Orator tell a blind man what the Sun is what these pleasant and beautiful colours of his bearas are which makes the Rainbow thorough the refraction of a cloud dissolving into Rain can they describe to him the beauty of a Lillie in the field to which Solomon in all his outward glory is not comparable Do not these of the meanest capacity and understanding who have their eyes and can look upon the Lillie have a better and more satisfying knowledge thereof then the blind man though quick of understanding though he had all the wittyest Orators and wisest men of the world to describe it unto him all their words comes far short of the other mans sight or can a deaf man know what a musical harmony and melody of the vocie is or can one who has lost the taste of his mouth know wine from water or sweet from bitter now if the knowledge of these natural things cannot be had sufficiently by any words how much less can things spiritual and God who is a spirit be known by words if words come short in the description or manifestation of creatures obvious to our bodily sences how infinitely short they fall in the manifestation of God or the things of his Kingdom As it is written 1 Cor. 〈◊〉 9. Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him But verse 10. God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit for the spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God Lo how the Apostle shuts forth all the knowledge that can be had either by the outward ear or eye when all words are excluded from being sufficient to reveal the things of God but can mans imaginations reasonings or conceptions and thoughts of man in his natural understanding do it either nay saith he it hath not entred into the heart of man to conceive them then all conceptions and thoughts of mans heart in the fall the old heart old Adams heart are also excluded from giving the knowledge how then are they known God saith he hath revealed them unto us by his spirit not unto me only said he but unto us unto you as well as unto me
to the People which he caused the Levites to keep and lay up in the side of the Ark see Deut. 31. 24 25 26 He falls a declaring concerning the New Covenant Deut. 30. from 11 ver to ver 16. This Commandment saith he which I Commanded thee this day is not hidden from thee neither is it far of It is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say Who shall go up for us into Heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it Neither is it beyond Sea that thou shouldest say who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it But the Word is very nigh unto thee in my 〈◊〉 and in thine Heart that thou mayest do it Now that Moses in these Words points at the New-Covenant is manifest because first he points them to this Word and Commandment not writ in tables of Stone or in the book of the Law But to it in the heart The Word is very nigh thee sayes he in thy Heart This is that which more fully declared Ierem. 31. 32. For then the New-Covenant dispensation came to be more manifestly revealed but in Moses time was more hid and obscure for the Vail hung before his face Secondly 'T is maaifest also from Rom. 10. 5 6 7 8 9. When Paul according to the wisdom given him maketh a full and ample Interpretation upon Moses Words shewing how that Moses described both in the fore-cited place the Old Covenant and the New Which Paul calleth the Righteousness of the Law and the righteousness of Faith ver 5. for sayes he Moses descrybeth the righteousness which is of the Law that the Man which doeth these things shall live by them But the Righteousness which is of Faith saith he speaketh on this wise Say not in thy heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring up Christ again from the Dead But what saith it the Word is â—…gh thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that is the Word of Faith saith he which we Preach c. In which word it is clear he points at that spoken by Moses Deut. 30. 12 13. c And he calls them the words of the Righteousness of Faith and that Word Moses poynted the Iews too in their heart he calls it the Word of Faith and it is clear he understands it of Christ for he addeth by way of Interpretation to Moses words speaking from the same Spirit Say not in thy heart who shall Ascend into Heaven that is saith he to bring Christ down from above and this is it which Paul pleadeth so much for in the Epistles Rom. Gal. shewing that there is no Justification by Moses's Law to wit that writ in the book of the Law and delivered to the Levites nor that writ in the Tables of Stone which he calls the Righteousness of the Law but by the Righteousness of Faith the word of Faith which is the New-Covenant Faith in Jesus Christ the word in the heart And elsewhere he saith If there had been a Law which could have given Life then Righteousness had been thereby but now by this Word in the Heart Life is given and therefore is Righteousness thereby for it is â—…he Word of Life living and Powerful c. And Moses pointed at the same Jesus Christ before Deut. 18. 18. 19. where he calleth him a Prophet c. And the Iews and People of Israel who lived in Moses's time and were saved it was through Faith in this Word in this Prophet raised up in them in their hearts not at a distance but nigh the Word is nigh in thy Heart And this is Christ in them the hope of Glory the Mistery hid from eyes and Generations but was ever made manifest in his Saints but in the latter daies more clearly Christ in all that believe the hope of Glory and so from what is said It is Manifest that Moses pointed at this Foundation which is one in all ages of the Church which was not the Words writ in Tables of Stone or Books of the Law but the Word of Faith whereby comes the Righteousness of Faith and the believing Iews in Moses's time made not a Church different from that in the time of the Apostles and down-wards all are one Church and under one Covenant and were saved by one Faith in one Lord and Redeemer though the dispensations did differ in many Circumstances and these who succeeded had more full and large discoveries of the Mistery yet in substance they all agreed and were all one upon the matter This being so weighty and it lying before me so clearly and it being so useful to demonstrate so far as words may be serviceable therein the matter in hand I have been driven to insist the more largely upon it and now to descend to David and the Prophets and Apostles whereas I might instance many hundred places in the book of the Psalmes I shall only point at the 119 Psal. And desire the Reader in the fear of the Lord to ponder and weigh what is therein declared concerning this Foundation and fundamental Principle to witt the Word and what word is it he speaks so much and so frequently of here and else where when he sayes ver 11. Thy word have I hid in my Heart and ver 16. I will not forget thy Word and ver 25. Quicken thou me by or according to thy Word and ver 28. Strengthen me according to thy Word and ver 42. I trust in thy Word and ver 43. He calls it the Word of Truth and ver 50. Thy Word hath quickned me and ver 81 82. I hope in thy Word mine eyes fail for thy Word when wilt thou comfort me and ver 89. For ever O Lord thy Word is setled in Heaven and ver 105. Thy Word is a Lamp unto my Feet and a Light unto my Path. and ver 123. Mine eyes fail for thy Salvation and for the Word of thy righteousness and ver 133. Order my Steps in thy Word and ver 140. Thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it and ver 160. Thy Word is true from the Beginning and ver 162. I rejoyce at thy Words as one that findeth great spoil and ver 169. Give me understanding according to thy Word Let that which is noble and ingenuous in any one answer me what Word this is whether it be the Letter of the Scriptures writ in a Book or that Word of Faith Paul and Moses long before spoke off the Word in the heart That it is not the Letter of the Scripture or any outward Word or Words whatsoever as the national Teachers give poor people to believe may be very clear to that in any man which ever had experience of any opperation of God on his Heart any Life quickning or Comfort from the Lord That which has found this will answer