manifested in Christ and yet perceives no such preciousnesse in Christ and his testimony as to move him according to his measure to count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ but easily listens to and admires the pretended excellencies of other spirits that lift not up the Son of Man according to the Apostles Doctrine but privily some other thing or work in his stead or embraces and cleaves to the things of this present world nor is moved with like love and compassion towards men from the grace in Christ beleeved nor united in heart with them that fear his Name and call upon him in truth to know and own them as brethren and strive together with them for the faith of the Gospel but hath left his first Love or else hath not yet so received the love of the truth as to save him let us not acknowledge his sayings to bee true that he doth so unfeignedly beleeve the truth as it is in Jesus for so we shall render God a Lyar and his Word without effect but let God be true and every man a Lyar for that grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men teacheth us That denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live righteously soberly and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the mighty God and our Saviour Let none of us therefore be moved to mean thoughts of the efficacy of the word of faith because we or others prove it not while we think and say we beleeve that thence we should slight that as vain and run to some other way to wait for the Spirit or for perfecting what was begun by the Spirit in the hearing of faith but let us judge our selves of wavering unconstancy or double mindednesse and of neglect of that so great Salvation and having itching ears after something sutable to our divers lusts and let us suffer our hearts by the grace of God while yet admonishing and striving with us to be more fixed trusting in the Lord without guile or waveringnesse seeking righteousnesse in Jesus through the knowledge and faith of him through which he gives all things pertaining to life and godlinesse Let us give more earnest heed to the things we have heard in the word of the truth of the Gospel least at any time we let them slip Consider that love of God to manward appearing in and through Christ saved the Apostles and so and therein they had the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost shed on them abundantly through Jesus Christ and that Gospel of Christ is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth for therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by faith And to this answers the other descriptions of the righteous ones in this text They are merciful men or men of kindnesse or godlinesse Men filled and seasoned with the apprehension and perswasion of the mercies compassions and kindnesse of God to sinners to the unkind and evil and of that as discovered in the face of Christ where he is to be truly known and worshipped And so of his good will in Christ begotten through the word of truth to their faith and hope in him and joy in hope of the glory to bee revealed and patience in tribulations and thence moved and filled with bowels and mercies compassions and kindnesse answerable to that they beleeve and perceive to be in God towards others even towards all in blindnesse and distresse yea to the unkind and evil the love of Christ constraining them to perswade them to be reconciled to God in Christ and to seek â—heir good by all means within their capacity and with all earnestnesse knowing also the â—errour of the Lord because they thus judge That if one dyed for all then were all dead and that be dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live to themselves but to him this dyed for them and rose again yea hence also they are filled with delightful love of and desire of fellowship with those that call on the name of the Lord out of a pure heart and with bowels of mercies humblenesse of mind meeknesse and goodnesseone towards another and towards all men answerable to the kindnesse and mercies of God in Christ And so if we read it men of godlinesse it will come to the same for they are the right and true worshippers of God who worship the Father in spirit and truth and such the Father seeks to worship him they worship adore honour magnifie beleeve and trust in him in the Spirit that is in the light and power of and according to the testimony of Jesus and of Gods glory as shined in his face which testimony the Holy Ghost hath given and in it his evidence and demonstration of Christ and of the Father is And therefore when we are called upon to godlinesse or to worship God that testimony of Jesus is said to be the spirit of Prophecy in and according to which we are to worship Rev. 19. 10. and so they in that light and strength of the Spirit have their rejoycing in Christ Jesus The truth And have no confidence in the flesh Joh. 4. 23 24. 5. 23 24. Phil. 3. 3. and in this true worship and fear of the Lord they are made partakers of the Divine Nature in interest in it union or fellowship with it conforming to it so as by Christ through faith so as thereby they goe on purging themselves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of the Lord 2 Corinth 6. 16-18 7. 1. purifying their hearts through beleef of the truth and retaining the hope of it in them to unfeigned love of the brethren and to more freedome from the intanglements and cares of this world as those that are pressing after the mark of the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus which pure religion and undefiled brings forth its fruit in their visiting the Sick the Widdows and fatherlesse in their affliction and keeping themselves unspotted in the world so as they walking in the Spirit though they have flesh warring in them are by the light and power of the Spirit in the testimony of Jesus kept from fulfilling the lusts of the flesh and so preserved blamelesse unto the day of Christ Rom. â— 8. 1-13 Gal. 5. And to this agrees that two-fold description of the Persons that shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and stand in his holy place Psal 24. 3 4 6. The first is He that hath clean hands and a pure hears that hath not lift up his soul to vanity nor sworn deceitfully for though there is none righteous no not one but all have sinned and are wholly polluted and unclean yet this truth remains for ever Without holiness no man shall see the Lord so that if there be
sin because they beleeve not on Christ and evidences it to be great unrighteousness from the consideration of what great things he hath done for them as also from the faithful evidences thereof to them instructing and moving to it as their reasonable service so that indeed they render him hatred for his love and evil for his good will and are without cause his adversaries yea against and contrary to all right reason or cause They not regarding the work of the Lord nor the operation of his hands which was true in him for and towards them that through him they might have beleeved Joh. 16. 8. 14. 1 Sam. 12. 24 25. Psal 68. 18-21 2 Corinth 5. 11-21 6. 1 2. Psal 28. 5. 109. 4 5. 3 This work of faith in Jesus is a righteous work directed in truth as may be seen in every act or branch of this faith of the operation of God For 1 Such it is as in which they acknowledge God to be true in his testimony concerning Christ which is the great things of his Law and in all the instructions and sayings thereof and therein acknowledge and disown themselves and all their own imaginations and the traditions of men as discovered and detected in the light of Gods testimony to be vanity and lyes he that hath received his testimony hath set to his Seal that God is true whereas on the other hand hee that beleeveth not God hath made him that is the God Fountain of all truth a Lyar because he beleeveth not the record that God gave of his Son even this record that God hath given us eternal life in his Son so as to bee received in receiving him in his testimony c. Joh. 3. 33. 1 Joh. 5. 10-12 What greater unrighteousness than to make God a Lyar and yet this is done by all that when they hear beleeve not the record of God concerning Christ but in the faith of Gods operation God is acknowledged to be true and every man a lyar his Word received as his and reverenced and preferred before all the Traditions or Precepts of men if never so many and those never so learned or holy 2 Such it is as in which they ascribe righteousness to their Maker and make their boast of his righteousness and of his only Job 36. 2 3. Psal 71 15 16. As that in which Law is answered Truth fulfilled a Door of approach to God opened and without which they must have been for ever cast out as an uncleane thing so as in this they acknowledge their owne sinfulness and vileness as therein evidenced They are the true confessors of sins that doe in the belief of that testimony of God concerning Christ owne them as theirs according to the discoveries of the true Light and so confess and disowne and give them up as filthy as thereby detected to be purged and such confession and acknowledgement of our owne vileness is certainly included in this faith of the operation of God If a man with the heart beleeve Gods testimony concerning Christ then doth he therein beleeve what it faith concerning himself or concerning Sin or Righteousness to bee true and so beleeving ownes its reproofs whence the Apostle John faith If we any of those great Apostles and so consequently any beleever in this life say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us If we say that we have not sinned we make him a Lyar and his word is not in us 1 Joh. 1. 8. 10. If any object against the righteousness of this act of faith That it is affirmed of Zacharias and Elizabeth that they were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandements of the Lord blameless to this we answer This confirms what we have already said for if they walked in all the Commandements of the Lord blameless then they walked in this of confessing our sins always acknowledging our owne vileness and wretchedness And truly this was contained in all those Commandements and Ordinances of the Law under which he served in the Priests Office for in those Sacrifices there was a remembrance againe of sins every year Heb. 10. 3. yea the High Priest himself ought as for the people so also for himself to offer for sin 8 Heb. 5. 3. And now the prefect Sacrifice is offered and the Purgation for all Sins compleatly made in the vertue of the bloud of Christ men are in the testimony of this Foâ—untainepened discovered to be sinners and all their righteousness as filthy raggs and so their owne vileness and the need of coming to this Fountains for washing always shewed in the opening of it so that he that walks not in the confession or acknowledgement of his sinfulness vileness and wretchedness as there discovered ascribing righteousness only to his Maker he doth not righteousness hee makes God a Lyar the truth is not in him hee walks not blameless for by the deeds of the Law shall no man be justified as blameless in the sight of God for all have sinned and are sinners have Sin in them as well as Death upon them while in this mortal body rendring it vile and wretched Phil. 3. last Rom. 7. 18-24 And for a sinner to hide his sin is most worthy of blame the just are they that live by faith in the righteousness of another even of Jesus Christ the just and righteous one Behold his Soul which is lefted up is not upright in him Galath 3. 11 12. Rom. 1. 16 17. Hab. 2. 4. Hence the confessing of our sins answers to and is put for the walking in the light as he is in the light 1 Joh. 1. 7. 9. and good reason for God is always in the discovery and demonstration of Christ the true light discovering our sinfulness and vileness that we may not trust in our selves but receive the sentence of Death there that we may learn in the beleife and mindfulness of his testimony concerning Christ to trust in him that raiseth the dead So that if we bee walking in the light beleeving and acknowledging Christ in his testimony we must needs be found in the beleeving view and remembrance of what he hath done and is become for us and Gods glory in him confessing our sins and so he that is borne of God that is led of the Spirit of God that always leads into and in Christ for all righteousness and life though he have sin in him for which simply God holds no man underblame or Condemnation by Christ yet so farre forth as he is born of God that is as he abideth in Christ he sinneth not hee doth not commit or serve sin no not in hiding his sins which is the first step of making provision for it which who so doth shall not prosper truly he should sin with a very high hand even to the making God a Lyar if he should say that hee had no sin in him warring and moveing for service or that he had not sinned yea
rich men and Rulers of the people see at large Micha 6. declaring the procuring cause of that Judgement of the good man perishing out of the earth such they were as that the good man being perished or taken away from among them the best of them was a Bryar and the most upright as a Thorn-hedge see Chap. 7. 3. 4 5. yea in Ezekiels time many of them did shew much love and respect to the Prophet while hee was among them and he was to them as a pleasant Song yet they would not regard his words to doe them or to suffer their saving operation in them for their heart went after their covetousnes and that is there given as the reason of the Judgement threatned in which they should know that a Prophet had been among them Ezek. 33. 30 33. 3 Others there are that through the knowledge of God in Christ have made some escape from them that live in errour and from the pollutions that are in the world through Lust and some of them have stood against many strong temptations and have tried those that say they are Apostles and are not and found them Lyars and yet after all this turn again with the Dogge to his vomit and with the Sow to her wallowing in the mire leaving their first love to that person and to the excellent knowledge of him Some with a more high hand then others turn from the holy Commandement after knowledge of the truth received and turning away their ears from the truth are turned aside to Fables even to such damnable Heresies as in which privily under pretence of magnifying him the Lord that bought them is denied by them others cleaving to and embracing this present world not continuing in but forsaking the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship not discerning or considering and remembring the excellency grace and vertue of the Lords Body that was broken for us and for such like iniquity God threatens the removing of their Candlestick Revel 2. 1 5. Now if yet we would judge our selves we should not be further judged of the Lord if when his hand is lifted up even to destroy and make an utter desolation yet if any take notice of it and say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited mee not then he is gracious and saith Deliver him from going down to the pit for I have found a ransome If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and the bloud of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin but he that hideth his sin shall not prosper hee that being often reproved hardneth his neck shall suddenly fall and that without remedy and this leads us to the next Branch of instruction namely 2 That when God so strikes and yet none lay to heart or consider it it s an evidence of great hardnesse and wilful blindnesse in such a people and a sign and fore-runner of greater judgements The truth of this is evidenced in the fore-mentioned Scriptures yet for farther and more particular demonstration of it See also Isa 26. 9. Oh Lord when thine hand is lifted up they will not see it but they shall see and be ashamed c. Jer. 5. When God hath threatned and begun to make desolations as chap. â— Then he saith Run to and fro through the streets and broad places And see now if yee can finde a man if there be any that executeth judgement that seeketh the truth and I will pardon it And though they say The Lord liveth and swear by his Name surely they swear falsly O Lord are not thine eyes upon the truth thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder than a rock they have refused to return and in this also the poor and rich did agree to break the yoke and burst the bands as Psal 2. Therefore a Lion out of the Forrest shall slay them A Wolf of the Evenings that comes privily to devour like that spirit of Antichrist and ministers of Satan Prophesied of to abound in the last days that come with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish privily bringing in damnable Heresies denying the Lord that bought them such an enemy shall spoyl and destroy them God shall send them strong delusions by giving permissive commission to Satan aâ— in the case of Ahah 1 King 22. 19 22. that they should beleeve a lye that they all might bee damned who beleeved not the truth but bad pleasure in unrighteousnesse Surely his soul shall be avenged on such a Nation as this See also Psal 78 64 65 c. What then shall wee say when in stead of laying it to heart and considering it and being grieved many rejoyce and sport themselves at such judgements as Micah 7. 8. Isa 57. 3 4. imagining they shall now have their desire and that the Righteous being taken away their name even the good name of God that was upon them shall perish as Psal 41. 5 6 7. and therefore encourage themselves in their evil wayes doctrines and practises faithful reprovers that were a terrour to them being ceased from them now they say as Psal 12. our tongues are our own who is Lord over us And now aâ— men delivered to do such abominations they speak vanity every one with his neighbour with a flattering lip and double heart thinking to prevail with their lip or doctrine now to root out the lip of knowledge encouraging themselves as if the foundations of the righteous were destroyed and therefore reproachfully saying to the poor that hath no helper but God and yet puts his trust in him where is now thy God thy hope thy confidence what can the righteous do Mic. 7. 10. Psal 11. But our God who is our rock and foundation is in his holy Temple in his Son our very present help and strong Tower of defence to save us The Lords throne is in Heaven from whence his eyes behold his eye lids trye the children of men hee is a God by whom actions are weighed in an even ballance and though hee do not speedily execute judgement against evil works because hee delights in mercy and would not that any should perish but that all should come to repentance such his gracious affection towards sinners even rebellious ones in this day of his grace and patience yet all these things are laid up in store with him sealed up among his treasures and shall be brought forth when every secret thing shall bee brought to light and God shall manifest the counsels of the heart then no more patience or forbearance to bee exercised towards rebels the Lord shall laugh then at their calamity and mock when their fear commeth yea the Lord himself shall come and ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed
once offered is of everlasting value and vertue with the Father for us even for the taking away the sins of the world and for the holding open the door of Life and procuring the continuance of Mercies even to the rebellious that the Lord might dwell among them as well as likewise for the continual covering and presenting compleat and spotless before the Father all that are found in it and for the perfecting what concerns them God hath set him forth in the infinite vertue of that his perfect Righteousness and Sacrifice a standing Propitiation not for our sins only that through grace beleeve but also for the sins of the whole world that through him hee might declare his righteousness in exercising patience and forbearance to Rebells during the day of his grace and patience and that is while it is due time and in justifying whosoever through his Name beleeveth in him that being justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ they might be washed sanctified and made Heirs in the vertues and influences of the same everlasting righteousness Joh. 1. 29. Rom. 3. 25 26. Heb. 7. 25 27. 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. so that though those iniquities or unrighteousnesses in which when the light and power of the grace of God is bringing Salvation and comes nigh to men leading to repentance lifting up the yoke then men close their eyes and harden their hearts and chuse darkness rather because their deeds are evil Though I say sins of this nature be not finished or made an end of in the Court as was said of the fore-mentioned but are detained in Heaven against men while they abide in them they being of a new nature and such as were not nor could have had being in the world if there had not been peace made for them and that also preached to them even by his Spirit to their spirits as 1 Pet. 3. 19 20. Joh. 15. 22 24. they provoke new wrath which abides over men while they continue in them Joh. 3. 18 19 36. and will end in a second death if persisted in till finished by them yet there is Reconciliation and Propitiation made in the vertues of his Blood or being cut off by death even for sins of this nature so that by means of that Death which was for the redemption of the Transgressions under the first Testament in the infinite and abiding vertue of that Bloud he is the Mediator between God and men and maketh intercession for the Transgressors yea hee hath received power and authority in the Name of the Father to procure and give forbearance to Rebells during his pleasure hee hath the Keys of David he opens and no man shuts hee shuts and no man opens he hath received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also observe that additional clause and the instruction in it That he hath received not only gifts for men as men and sinners from Adam considered but for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them And so also to give through his Name forgiveness even of all sins past to whosoever through this grace seeth and beleeveth on him as well as always to present them acceptable in the presence of God in himself in the vertue of that his perfect and everlasting righteousness yea they have righteousness and strength in the Lord answering to all their needs weakness and nakedness for their covering in the presence of God and that they may be filled with the fruites of it in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel all the generation of seekers of Gods Name and face in Christ be justified and shall glory therefore saith he Look unto me and be yee saved all the ends of the earth for I am a just God and a Saviour and his righteousness is an everlasting righteousness and shall never be abolished however men fight against it 3 Therein he hath sealed or confirmed the Vision and Prophesie of bringing forth blessing in Abrahams Seed to all Nations giving his Son Jesus as raised from the Dead for a Witness to the people a Leader and Commander to the people a Light to the Gentiles and his Salvation to the ends of the earth Gen. 22. 18. Gal. 3. 8 13. Isa 42. 49. 55. 3 5. Acts 2. 13. for bee hath now made the man Christ Jesus in the Name and Majesty of God a testimony to men the Light of the world to bee testified to them in their several Ages and in due time having anoynted the most Holy even that most holy Body the Personal Body of Christ through sufferings glorified with the Fathers owne selfe the glory he had with him as the eternal Son of God before the World was with the vertue of whose Bloud the Heavens themselves were sprinkled that Grace and Truth might thence come forth to us It hath therefore pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell even the fulnesse of the God-head bodily that of his fulnesse we might all receive for the opening our eyes and turning us from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God that we might receive forgivenesse of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in him Now Jesus Christ in his Personal ministration on earth was a Minister of the Circumcision yea after his Ascension the first pouring out of the Holy Ghost bringing and opening the testimony of Jesus as the Works are finished in his Body was upon his Apostles and Disciples that were all of the Circumcision and by them it was first to be preached to the Circumcision and after to all Nations for the obedience of faith Now this his being a Minister of the Circumcision was to confirme the Promises to the Fathers and that in the confirmation of them and in the grace so coming forth in Abrahams Seed and confirmed among his Family and from thence coming forth to the Nations the Gentiles might glorifie God for his mercy as it is written For this cause I will confesse to thee among the Gentiles c. Rom. 15. 8 9. And this may answer to his confirming the Covenant with many for one week the last of the Seventy in the midst of which himself was cut off and did therein prepare and through those sufferings himself was perfected that everlasting Sacrifice in the comming in of which the Typical Sacrifice and Oblation did cease about or soon after the third day or year of his being manifested to Israel and shewing himself in his Personal Ministration as the Son of God the Saviour of the World and so in the midst of the week he was cut off and through sufferings made perfect Luke 13. 32 33. and in a like time after the revelation of the mystery out of the Scriptures of the Prophets was come forth fully and confirmed in them and by them according to the Commandement of the everlasting God given forth for obedience to the saith among all Nations so that the Lord