do although he know they can do nothing of the holy command before God because he would have them know and consider of his grace and goodness to them in undertaking and performing those things of the holy commandement for them first and last unto their salvation and everlasting happiness which themselves were not able to do in the least and to take up the song of David the sweet singer of Israel continually before men praising the Lord for his goodness and to declare the wonders that he hath done for the children of men so that their labour is not in vain in the Lord. Seventhly Because when it pleaseth the L. Jesus Christ to send his holy spirit to them 1 Cor 5. 1. 5. 8. to act in them these things of his holy commandement and to make them his branches to bear and bring forth such fruits in singlenesse of heart in sincerity and godlinesse as fruits of the spirit in truth then these are true evidences testimonies and witnesses of the spirit received as the Tree is known by the fruits in the rule of Christ And the spirit received doth witnesse that they are the children of God We have received the spirit saith the Apostle and the same spirit doth witness that we are the children of Rom. 8 15. 16. God Object Further the deceiving spirit objecteth to teach that mans love to God his prayer praise his giving forgiving repentance and the rest like commanded do not cause move and incite God to love give and forgive his servants and do them good is the flaking and quenching of all devotion and religious service to God Answ This Doctrine indeed may by the power of Christ quench the devotion and supposed service to God of Hypocrites that there by dishonour Christ for what greater dishonour to Christ can be done then to uphold or think that poore corrupt man by his love believing praying praising giving forgiving repenting and the rest can procure God to love justifie give and forgive which is onely the work that Christ hath undertaken for poor unable man saying Lo I come to do thy will O God which only Heb. 10. 7. procureth the love justification forgiveness and all goodness of God to man freely without any work or labour of mans I will love them freely saith God We are iustified freely by grace Hos 14. 4. Take of the water of life freely And of this work of causing moving inciting and procuring God to love man to justifie forgive Rom. 3. 24 Rev. 21. 6. 2 Thes 2. 3. 4. and do good to man the honour and praise belongeth onely to our Christ that sitteth upon the throne and it is the Antichrist the man of sin which the Apostle speaketh of that taketh this honour or any part of it to himself and robbeth Christ of this honour onely due to him But in those which are true believers their doctrine doth not quench but kindle devotion and religious worship and service to God and his Christ For can there be greater incitement to devotion and Religion then for a man to be taught of God and to be assured by the spirit of Christ in him that Christ hath undertaken to do all for him to his justification and salvation before God that Christ with the will and good pleasure of God hath done doth and will do all for him to God paid his debt made his peace and made his reconciliation with God for his sins obtained the imputation of his righteousness to him in and by his fulfilling of the holy Law of God for him making him to be holy and without blame before God in love causing moving and inciting God to love him give to him forgive him and do him all good when as himself in himself is still a sinner corrupt and abominable and hath no good thing in him as Paul said he had not Rom. 7. 18. dwelling in himself and was not nor is able to do the least with God to procure the least love and goodness of God to himself Surely if this teaching will not kindle devotion in man he is no true Believer yea he is worse then the Heathens and Publicanes that Christ spake of which he said would love them that loved them that would do good to them that did good to them The Heatheâ—s and Publicanes saith Christ will do the same Mat. 5. 46 47. This did kindle exceeding devotion in David as we read it made him sing it made him praise worship fall down and kneel before the Lord his Maker and Redeemer and to call others O come saith he let us worship fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker Psa 93. 6. These Positions following are the grounds of the Treatises and Meditations following The first Position is THat God fore-saw and fore-knew all things to be in the world before the world A Sparrow falls not to the ground Gal. 3. 8. Act. 2. 23 1. Pet. 1. 2 Mat. 10. 29 30. Ps 148. 6. without his providence That God willed and decreed all things before the world unchangable to be in eternity That Gods eternal will and decree was his present and unchangeable act of all he willed and decreed with and before himself Ps 13. 5. 6. before the world before whom all things are present and not future although in manifestation and appearance to the creature they be in future and appointed fulness of time That God fore-saw and fore-knew all mankind to become the children of wrath by the transgression of the first man notwithstanding Eph. 2. 3. Rom. 5. 18 he had power given him and free-will also to keep the covenant and do the commandement .. That it was Gods eternal act according to his eternal will and decree of love mercy and free grace to elect in Christ some of Eph. 1. 4. Rom. 8. 29 30. Act. 13. 48. Eph. 1. 5. the children of wrath out of the generall company of the children of wrath to be holy and without blame before him in love to be predestinated and ordained to eternal life and to be adopted the children of God through Christ according to the good pleasure of his will That those which according to the good pleasure of his will God so knew before and he so elected in Christ were holy and 1 Cor. 1. 2 3. Act. 13. 48. Rom. 8. 29 30. 1 Cor. 1. 8. Rom. 8. 33 without blame before God after they were elected out of the children of wrath no more to be the children of wrath but of God and were predestinated and ordained to eternal life were adopted the children of God through Christ called justified and glorified before God and were so before the foundations of the world was laid in Gods sight although these be not in appearance and manifestation to the creature till in future and fulness of time appointed That Christ undertook and performed all in acceptance willed Positi 2. Heb. 10. 9. Rev. 13. 8. and
from thee and deliver thee from evil upon thee that there is much good and vertue in thine or their prayers thou makest an Idol of prayer Mark this well When the Israelites had fiery Serpents among them which stung many to death God by Moses set up a Brazen Num. 21. 8 9. Serpent to figure Christ that whosoever was stung he commanded to look upon the Brazen Serpent set up and he should be healed and as many as looked upon it after Gods command and according to Gods Ordinance were healed But afterward the people made it an Idol burnt incense to it accounting the goodness and vertue whereby they healed to be in the Serpent of Brass not in Jesus Christ which it figured therefore the servant and Instrument of God King Hezekiah 2 Kin. 18. 4. 1 Cor. 15. 56. brake it in pieces This fiery Serpent is among us it doth sting all with sinne unto death The sting of sin is death saith the Apostle Jesus Christ hath set up Prayer in the room of the Brazen Serpent to his church and people to be a figure and representation of himself unto them that if we his people will return unto prayer according to his Ordinance and look upon him represented in prayer as he hath commanded then we shall all of us be sure to be healed as all were healed that were stung by the fiery Serpent of the Israelites But if we fall to esteem vertue goodness power and strength in our prayers to do us the good to be able to move God and to prevail with God to do us the good we make an Idol of our Praver and we and our prayers shall perish I know there are many in these modern times professing Christianity and having sundry names for their different waies as Papists Arminians Anabaptists Brownists Presbyterians Independents and others and all zealous of the commandements of our God and the duties thereof especially they of those sorts which for the manifestation of their zeal and increase of Proselites make many private meetings and Conventicles for prayer and performances of other duties commanded to edification of men in their wayes whereby they think they please God pacifie God move God and prevail with God to do them good But alas in all these they rob Christ of his honour and make an Idol of their Prayers and performances for that they give the honour that is onely Christs to please God to pacifie God to move God to prevail with God to do men good unto their own performances which in truth are corrupt and sinful and therefore cannot please God Object But these will say We do all that we do to the honour and service of God Answ The greatest Idolaters have ever said so and no question had intention thereto we cannot think but that the Israelites that made and worshipped the golden Calf did say they did it to Gods honour and service and intended it so and they that did bow the knee to Baal did it and intended it to Gods honour and service And the Papists that bow to the image of Christ say they do it and intend it to the honour and service of Christ and yet the same is idolatry So these may do and intend all their Prayers and performances to the honour and service of God and yet that they do be idolatry whilest they give that honour to their own Prayers and performances which is onely Christs It seemeth that the Apostle Paul did finde many of the Israelites in the like zealous condition touching the commandement of God as these profess themselves to be unto whom he wrote in these words 〈◊〉 bear you record you have a zeal of God but not according Rom. 10. 2 3. 4. to knowledge for you bring ignorant of the righteousness of God and going about to establish your own righteousness have not submitted your selves to the righteousness of God for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth There are three things marked by the Apostle in those Israelites answering to these zelotes 1. They were zealous of God his honour and service so are these 2. They were so zealous in ignorance because they were ignorant of the righteousness of God meaning in Christ and would not submit unto that which is all righteousness that is in Gods sight righteousness to please God to pacifie God to move God to do men good so are these 3. They would establish their own righteousness the righteousness of their own performances to have power to please and pacifie God to move God and prevail with God to do them good which must needs be understood by establishing their own righteousness for nothing can please and pacifie God move and Rom. 10. 4 prevail with God but true righteousness which Christ faith the Apostle is the only performer and finisher of to those that believe Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth In this glass such as go about to please God by their performances 1 Iob. 5. 21 may see their idolatrous faces clearly Babes saith the Apostle keep your selves from Idols Quest. But these will say Wherefore doth God command men to do the duties of his commands if the doing of the duties do not please and pacifie God and move him to do them good Answ For resolution therein look back to that which hath been said before of the benefits of Gods commandements to men Quest. Have not true Believers care and zeal to do the duties of Gods commandements Answ Yes that they have in all humbleness and reverence for the care zeal and devotion of the duties of all godliness is wrought up in them by the Spirit of Christ which they as branches of the Vine Christ abiding and alive in him do bear and hold forth and they are not so wrought up in them to bear and hold them forth that they should thereby please and pacifie God or prevail with God to do them good ut to manifest evidence and witness to them that God is pleased with them and pacified towards them in Christ whose fruits they are that they bear and hold forth And that Christs performances in himself have prevailed and will ever prevail with God to do them good that all shall work together for the best unto them and herein is the joy and the rest of true Believers Indeed I hear there are some because they hear there is no goodness in their Prayers and duties performing to please God no promise to prevail with God to do them goed therefore they give over prayer c. I wish these would observe if any of the Israelites stung with the fiery Serpent did not return to the Brazen Serpent the figure of Christ to look upon it they were sure to die Even so they which refuse to return unto Prayer the figure and representation of Christs Spirit in man which Christ hath set up for a figure and represent on
Peace Righteousnesse Society Safety and Comfort among themselves which without a Law could not have government Peace Righteousness and Safety before men especially in regard of many Hypocrites in closing themselves among the Elect of God as Wolves among Sheep And that those his redeemed People should do and performe in the will and power that they had left them these his Commandements in righteousnesse before men for worship to God Peace Safety Society and comfort among themselves upon temporall reward and penalty And that the will worke and doing of the same his Commandement being the fruits of his Spirit wrought up in their hearts where and as hee pleased might witness unto them that they are Christs redeemed ones that they have his Spirit and are the children of God as the Apostle saith the spirit received doth witness with our soules and spirits Rom. 8. 16. that we are the children of God So these confounding the Law and Commandement of God given to man in absolute Justice having absolute Free-will and power upon the condition of absolute eternall life and death for keeping and breaking the same still remaining written in the hearts of all Mankinde their Free-will and power being wholly corrupted and weakened through the transgression and the Law and Commandement of Christ given in grace to his Church the chosen of God in him whereby Mercy and Truth met together Righteousnesse and Peace kissed each other upon temporall reward Psal 85. 10. and penalty for keeping and breaking the same before men for the condition of the reward and penalty could not be eternall of keeping breaking the Commandement of Christ given in grace For that the eternall reward of righteousnesse to man before God consisteth onely in the Work and Merit of Christ for man in Christ himself performed before God imputed unto man Gods chosen without any will or worke of mans And the eternall penalty of all the sinne and transgression of Gods chosen and Christs redeemed is paid and satisfied by Christs Death and Bloud from the beginning before God in the fulnesse of him before them Although those that are Gods chosen and those that are not Gods may have will and power to keep the Commandement before men yet they neither have such will or power as to keepe it before God to eternall reward Quest Christ commandeth those hee called and sent to go and teach all Nations what is that teaching of Christ that hee intendeth Mat. 28. 89. Ans First I take it In that Christ commandeth to go and teach Mar. 16. 6. all Nations hee intendeth not to all of all Nations not to cast Pearles among Swine which turning againe will rend them that teach them but to teach such of all Nations as will submit to their Mat. 7. 6. teaching Secondly that they should teach all them of all Nations that did submit to the Gospell of Jesus Christ Which is the glad tidings of salvation by Jesus Christ That is that God so loved the world which hee intended to make that hee fore-knowing that mankinde would transgresse his command and become the children of wrath did purpose and in his Mercy and Love did choose some as he pleased of the world of those children of wrath in Christ his onely Son eternall with himselfe before the world to be his children holy and without blame before him in love as the Apostle saith and the Father of love and mercy having Eph. 1. 4. pleased to give his Sonne the Christ to performe all things both in doing and suffering to the full satisfaction of his Justice for their delivering from thence full setling of those his chosen ones his love and favour for ever who did in present understand to doe the will of the Father saying Lo I come to doe thy will O Heb. 10. 7 8 9 God did also in present performe the same undertaken before God and before men in fulness of time to Gods satisfaction evermore that nothing hereafter is to be shall or can be laid to the charge of Gods chosen before God as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. 33 shall 〈◊〉 any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that justifieth the◠That Gods chosen People are no more under the law of eternall condemnation but under grace evermore And that those of Gods chosen people unto whom it pleaseth the Lord Jesus Christ to give his holy Spirit so farre as by his Spirit to worke in their hearts the fruit of his spirit of believing and faith the same which the spirit doth witness and evidence to their hearts and soules that they are the chosen of God in Christ and justified of God through Christ before the world in Gods sight Rom. 6. 14 that they are no more under the Law but grace that they are the children of God c. This Gospel is the draw-net of Christ that Mat. 13. 47 gathereth of all kindes some This was that which the Gentiles Acts 13. 42 hearing desired Paul to preach the same word to them the next Sabbath Day Quest Is the teaching of Christ commanded to those he sent no teaching but of his Gospel to all Nations Answ Yes it is the teaching of his Law for the government of those before men which hee hath gathered by his Gospell for worship to God for Peace Society Safety Comfort and Righteousness among men themselves which could not be without a Law and government and this government of his Church lieth upon Christs Shoulders as the Prophet saith God which was pleased to suffer the children of wrath for the Esa 9. 6. time hee pleased to shew his wrath and make his power knowne was pleased to write his Law in their minds given to mankinde Rom. 1. in generall for government among themselves before men and whereby their consciences accuse and excuse one another and Rom. 2. whereby they know sinne and what deserveth death and there as the Apostle saith other wise there could have been no society among them But Christ giveth his Law for government to his Church not onely to know sinne by the teaching thereof and to shunne sinne as all naturall men have will and power to doe although weakly in their corruption but also that they may yeild themselves to be Rom. 6. 13 instruments of the worke of his spirit in the shunning of sinne inwardly in their hearts and of knowing what Christ hath done for them in himselfe before God in performing of the full righteousnesse of his Lawes and Commande to their peace with God and that the worke of the spirit in those of his Commandements being the fruits of his Spirit whereof they are made instruments may evidence witnesse and assure to them Rom. 8. 16 that they are the children of God chosen of God in Christ justified through Christ and redeemed by Christs payment to God and his performance of all to God for them in Gods sight and acceptance before the
and none but believers are ordained to eternal life All must be damned that believe not Answ This Text is to be understood of as many of those present which heard the word of the Apostle preached at that time not of all men and women young and old when where and whatsoever whereof many never heard the Gospel preached and are departed Nehem. 1. 7 this life not utterly without hope to us of their eternal life though without manifestation thereof in believing the Lord knoweth who are his Paul was elected in Christ before the world and made sure of Ephes 1. 4 1 〈◊〉 13. eternal lâ—fe when Paul persecuted the Church and did it in unbelief he had not saith The fourth sort of professing believers in Christ which are Hypocrites are such as the Apostle speaketh of that turn the grace of God Iud 4 into lasciviousnes or wantonnes which rather use the liberty that they conceive in their corrupt understandings the grace of God Christ bringeth to believers for to be an occasion to the flesh to give unto Gal 5. 13. them the raines of licenciousness and sinning that the abounding of grace above sin spoken by the Apostle giveth all liberty to do any sin Rom. 5. 10 the flesh inclineth unto And for that the Prophet saith all their iniquities being believers are laid upon Christ And for that the Apostle saith he hath born them already upon the tree in his body and washed Isa 53. 6. them away with his blood There is no conscience or question say they to be made of sinning or not sinning grace hath made no stop or exception of sinning This believing is ungodly and like to the womans eâ—ting of the forbidden fruit wherein the old Serpent the devil made her believe there was no sin so the Devil maketh these believe there is no sin in this their believing that is most abominable sin in the sight of God For the faith and believing which is the fruit of the spirit is quite contrary believing for although the true saith which is the fruit of the spirit of Christ apprehendeth the love and grace of God in their election in the promise in the laying of all their sins and iniquities upon Christ and in Christs bearing them in his body upon the tree and in his washing them away by his blood Yet they which have this true faith do not believe that Christ leaveth them there to themselves to live after the flesh licenciously with loose reigns of sinning But they beleeve the free grace of God that hath done these great things for them through Jesus Christs performances will go along with them and teach them that is fit them inable direct and guide them as the instruments of his spirit to denie ungodlines and worldly lusts and to Tit. 2 11. live soberly godly and righteously in this present world That the spirit of Jesus Christ will fit them to be his instruments of Rom. 8. 13 mortifying the deeds of the flesh by the spirit and lead them that they shall walk after the spirit and favour the things of the spirit yea that the more they have of the spirit in them the more the fruit of the spirit will appear in them in all manner of goodness and less of the flesh unto sin and wickedness The more of Christ they have the more will Christ and his righteousness shine in them The manifestation of 1 Cor. 12. 7. the spirit saith the Apostle is given to every to profit or do good withall where good is not the spirit is not where sin is abounding the spirit is wanting 1 Cor. 12. 3. No man saith the Apostle can call Jesus Christ the Lord but by the Mar. 7. 1. Holy Ghost meaning except he be an Hypocrite Therefore those which call Jesus Christ their Lord and Saviour for their liberty of sinning Gal. 5. 23. are palpable Hypocrites For sin is not the fruit of the spirit but goodness and righteousness It is grace indeed from Christ to wretched sinful man to have wrought out his deliverance from Hell and from sin against his good God But it were no grace from Christ to have wrought forth for Leuâ—â— 19. 17. Rom. 8. 13 Pâ—â— 37. 24 v. 35. man a liberty to sin against his good God But herein appeareth the grace of Christ to his elected believers that he suffereth them not to sin as the flesh lusteth that he mortifieth sin in them by his spirit That though they fall they shall not be cast of for the Lord putteth Ierem. 32. 40â— under his hand That the righteous shall never be forsaken I will put such a feare into their hearts saith the Lord with whom I have made my Covenant that they shall never depart from me Christs Government of his Church upon Earth The truths and lights in this Treatise discover the errors of the Independents Anabaptists and Brownists and of their pharasaical Legalists the great opposites and may reconcile them all through the power and working of the grace of Jesus Christ touching Christs Government of his Church here upon Earth IF those amongst us which are called Independents and the rest which harp of that string who to uphold their Independency and immunity amongst men Therefore hold forth Christ their only head King Ruler Governor Lord Law giver Magistrate Pastor and Teacher c. and not man And that Christ only hath the office and power to rule govern give Laws feed teach c. and no man And that the Laws given by man to the republique and Kingdom whereof Christ is the head King Governor and Law-giver only are not of bounden duty and Conscience to be obeyed But onely those given by Christ himself and under his rule and Government only If those I say which hold forth Christ thus unto men do also further hold him forth to have all power to good all good wisdom righteousness holiness and true goodness in himself alone And that by his own soul and absolute power he doth all good things whether good rule Government Order Law-giving yea love joy peace patience meekness righteousness temperance yea all goodness whatsoever as he pleaseth in his universal national political parochial particular Church and in any member of any of them through his holy and incomprehensible spirit in them sent unto them for their comfort keeping preserving and fitting to the Kingdom of glory and the praise and glory of his grace for ever And that every good thing among the Sons of men done in truth Gods sight good so done and is the deed of Christ himself by his powerful spirit and not of the will of man but of the will of God only And if those do acknowledge that in man as himself dwelleth no good thing And that in and of himself he hath no means to perform that which is good before God as Paul the Apostle of Christ did Rom. 7. 18 confess and acknowledg of himself