condition it s an easie thing to be circumvented by him such high expressions such glorious speeches such enticing and swelling words though full of vanity to a spiritual discerning because they have not the bread of Life the foundation of our hope in them with whom are they not taking The consideration of which having pressed me forward to the writing and publishing of this small Treatise in which though I be but weak I have endeavoured according as by Covenant I am bound for the rooting out of Error and heresie in my place and calling though not primely upon that consideration to prevent the spreading of this grand infection that though I have little hopes of reducing those that are corrupted yet I might be a means to stablish some that are wavering and prevent their falling I have chosen as to the Saints in general so to you in particular to Dedicate and present it out of that respect I bear to you and the good that 's in you and sense of obligation upon me toward you Desirng God ever to guide and preserve you And you yet to account me Ladies Your Servant in the Gospel JOHN HORN Lin Novemb. 2. 1650. To the Congregation of the first born yet warring on earth whose names are written in heaven and particularly to those of them that I minister unto at Lin c. grace mercy and peace from God our Father and from Jesus Christ our Lord. Brethren YOu cannot but know that the Church of God is in Scripture resembled to a natural body wherein are many members united to each other and to one head and by one Spirit growing up in exact unity now as in the natural body there may be many infirmities and many things are liable to offend and hurt it so also is it in this mystical sometimes it may be subject to distempers by nauseous crude undigested humours the want of thorow closing with and drinking in divine truths or the drinking in untruths may occasion a surfeit and aversation from truth sometimes flatuous and windy humours of pride high-mindedness and lying spirits getting into some of its members may distemper it sometimes feavourish heats of violent headiness instead of wel-tempered zeal for God and godliness may inflame it and sometimes the cold aguish or palsie humours of deadness in benummedness to Spiritual motions in its tendency to its spiritual and supream end may so seize upon it as much to impair its strength and to appearance bring it nigh to death But God whose Temple it is hath provided for it against such distempers and dangers both meat and medicine to feed and cure it As Christ himself is the prime and great tree of life in whom the word is so united to the humanity that the humanity was ever in all times of Winter blasts and Sommer droughts refreshed and upheld thereby and made glorious fruitful and his fruits are good and prosperous fit to feed and his Leaves full of vertue to heal the Nations So is every one that through grace is brought to believe in Christ and gathered up into unity with Christ and lives upon the word of Christ Psal 1.3 as a tree planted by the waters side Jer. 17.7,8 Even one of those trees of life that grow upon the banks of that great river of the knowledge of God in Christ that proceeds from out his sanctuary and runs from beside the Altar or sacrifice of Christ and under the threshold the Gospel and its Ordinances holding forth Christ Ezek. 47.1.2.12 whose fruit is for meat and its leaf for medicine The lips of the righteous feed many and their fruit is as a tree of life Prov. 10,21 and 11.30 the doctrine they receive from Christ is a wholsome doctrine 1 Tim. 6 3.4 and full of healing by which they are more and more rooted into and united with Christ till they all grow up into such a close and full union with him that the many trees on the banks of that river Rev. 22.2 be made perfectly but one on both sides of that river Eph. 4.13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith and acknowledgement of the Son of God unto a perfect man Now I knowing that in this body there are at present as at other times not only many inward weaknesses but also many things from without indangering it yea that many parts of it are sorely laid open to infections from divers that seem to be of it or converse with it though I be less then the least of all Saints yet according to the measure of the gift of Christ given me I have endeavoured to administer that that I have from the head which may make for its strength and nourishment yea and to hold forth such of his Leaves supplied to me by his good hand as may either prevent or cure the infections feared desiring that we may all so press after further knowledge of and growth in Christ as that yet we may be kept from imbracing false Christs and from being snared by the poison of those false Prophets who instead of hastening mens growth up into Christ which they pretend do secretly and subtilely corrupt men from the simplicity that is in Christ as if a man by stretching of a twig to make it grow longer should pull and sever it from the body of the tree upon which it groweth As for the mind to be without knowledge is not good so he that hasteth with his feet sinneth Prov 19.2 I desire that what I present to you in love and for your good may be taken in good part and soberly considered by you and that what you see to suit with and proceed from that good spirit of God that is but one and the same in all ages and gives unity to the body in all its memberly differences may be received and held fast by you and if in any thing you see either further or better then I impart of your measure also to me that we may grow up together by that which every joynt supplieth all holding fast and not letting go the head from whence we receive the right and true spirit that will give us to increase So shall our feet abide within the gates of Jerusalem and the Lord himself shall dwell amongst us shall judge rule and teach us and in his teaching we shall not be vainly puft up with a carnal mind like those bodies that are puft up with unwholsome humours but grow solidly fat and well-liking and shew that he is gratious and that there is no deceit or unrighteousness in him To him and the word of his grace which is able to build you up and give you the inheritance I commit you with my self being The meanest of your Brethren and companions in the way of Salvation J. HORN The Contents Chap. 1. A Description of real Saints Pag. 1 Sect. 1. Who are not such ibid. 2. Who are p. 7 Chap. 2. Of the estate of Saints p. 11 Sect. 1. More generally their
that they not being the objects of sense are the less feared or discerned and can the more easily mingle themselves with or insinuate themselves into our spirits which are somewhat of like nature with them that such essences were created by Christ is affirmed in Col. 1.16 Things visible and invisible c and that some of these leaving their first habitation or principality fell from God and are reserved in chains of darkness unto the Judgement of the great Day which they also tremble at the thoughts of is affirmed by the Apostle Jude 6. Nor need I go about to prove to you that there are such for I speak to you that are Saints and therefore I hope not easily gulled into the error of the Sadduces to deny that there are Angels or Spirits or any thing that cannot be seen or discerned with bodily senses you cannot be Saints if ye believe no more then your senses perceive for then neither can ye believe that there is a God forasmuch as with mortal eyes you cannot see him and Saints they are not that believe not in him much less that believe him not to be because they cannot see him The Scriptures everywhere plentifully testifie to this that there are both Angels and Spirits good and evil and such as I speak to are born of that Word of Faith that is held forth in the Scriptures else have they nothing to do to conceive that they have any interest in the glorious priviledges there spoken of I shall leave others to believe what there is said or to take theâ—… course till they experiment the truth thereof iâ— their own smart There is an evil spirit I saâ— whereof the Saints have experience with many emissaries or Angels unclean and evil spiriâ— too that worketh in the children of disobedâ—ence bewitching the minds of men with false iâ—lusions and stirring up that corruption thaâ— is in them to their own and others perjudiâ—… He blows and stirs men up to opposition agaiâ— God and his Truth and kindleth up anger aâ—… wrath against the Saints because of the truth deceiving the world and suggesting to them thâ—… the Saints are an evil people not fit to be peâ—mitted amongst men suiting himself to meâ— several dispositions ways and principles Tâ—… the prophane and men bent upon their lusts aâ—… pleasures he insinuates that the Truth of Goâ— and the Saints that profess it are opposite 〈◊〉 them and seek to cross them of their enterpâ—ses and therefore that it cannot go well witâ— them while they are permitted To those thâ—… are potent and powerful in the world he suâ—gests that these people are refractory to theâ— and under pretence of worshipping God 〈◊〉 Christ deny subjection to them and therefoâ—… not to be tolerated To them that are world wise he presenteth their way as foolish anâ— therefore to be despised To them that are falâ—…ly and ignorantly zealous he representeth theâ—… as Sectaries and perillous to their way of Religion and so fitting his suggestions to their several tempers stirreth them all up to war against them Sometimes also he worketh in some of more seeming ingenuous tempers to flatter and intice them with worldly proffers from their way of Piety and Religion Yea he can insinuate into the Saints themselves and suggest such things to their hearts as tend to supplant them and set one to play the adversary to another either by flattering speeches to perswade one another to turn aside from the way of Christ to avoide the Cross and persecution or else by raising up emulations divisions or the like to weaken them He Proteus like can transform himself into any shape and put into the world and into the flesh an addition of his own power and policy to make them more dangerous enemies unto the Saints to harm them The Beast the worldly power setting it self in the House of God and the false Prophet the pretended spiritual but really corrupt power worldlified into a way of secular pride and pomp are both strengthened by him the great red Dragon to persecute the woman clothed with the Sun and the Offâ—spring that she brings forth in the earth and happy is he that is not overcome by one wile or other of him Great need deer fellow-Travellers to look about us and to take to our selves Armor of Proof and to stand upon our Watch that none of these potent enemies do circumvent us and turn back from the possession of the eternal inherâ—tance to prevent which before I come to sheâ—… you the way to escape their force I shall say little about the Temptations that God orders 〈◊〉 his people by them chiefly some of the moâ—… dangerous of them CHAP. III. Of Temptations Sect. 1. That God suffereth his Saints to be tempted and why YOur estate being such as I haâ—… described you may see that yoâ— have ground to expect tempâ—…tions and cause neither to bâ— secure considering your imperfections nor yet diffident coâ—sidering what perfection you have in Christ Jâ—sus Your ground to expect them may be fuâ—ther seen in this that God pleases to order theâ—… to his people permitting them to be tempted 〈◊〉 Satan who of his own nature is most read thereto as may be seen in the head of the Saint even the Lord Christ Jesus We read thâ—… when He was Baptized and the heavens openâ—… upon him and God had declared him to be his well-beloved Son and the Spirit was poured out upon him designing him to be the Minister and servant of God to the world in the revelation of the knowledge of God to them Matth. 4.1 though God had testified his welpleasedness in him yet even him Satan set upon and thrust sorely at that he might try his strength and God also by his Spirit led him into this way into the Wilderness to be tempted of Satan sure to let us see what we are to expect and look for viz a portion too in temptation as of old he led his Israel also into the Wilderness and suffered a day of temptation to fall upon them before he led them into Canaan And that 's Gods trying men in this way that he leads them into such occasions and into such a way as wherefrom Satan take advantages to tempt them And though Satan do herein evilly like himself yet God doth it for good as to the Israelites of old because as there so here much mixt people comes out of Egypt with the Saints Many come out of the worldly Societies and Fellowships wayes and professions upon the heare-say of the Gospel and through the light truth that they see therein who yet are not so principled as the Saints not of their spirit and disposition though amongst them drawn by the hope of the inheritance but not so moulded into holy confidence and that those might be made manifest and either healed or turned quite out therefore God doth order temptations to them and then many such depart from amongst the Saints because they were not of them of
of God unto a perfect man Know that the Scriptures came not by the wlll of man nor did the Penmen of them write as they pleased as their own fancies led them but as the holy Gost inspired and acted them 2 Pet. 1.20,21 and the things therein written were written for our learning Rom. 15.4 that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and in believing might through patience and the comfort of them have hope yea and life in his Name Joh. 20.31 In them is laid down a form of wholsom words which we are to take diligent heed unto and not to depart therefrom because they are profitable as says the Apostle to instruct correct reprove c. yea to maâ—e us wise unto salvation through faith in Christ 2 Tim. 3.15,16 both to discern truth from error light from darkness yea when it glisters like light and to lead to avoid the darkness and walk in the light yea in a word they are sufficient to perfect a man of God to every good work of the ministry or service required of him Let that Word then and the Gospel there recorded be held fast by you and the Doctrine that according thereto ye have heard from the beginning even the first principles and foundation the Death and Resurrection of Christ as therein declared that beleeve and depart not from it nor from viewing and beholding the grace and love of God and all those glorious and mysterious depths contained therein nor from the secret voices and speakings thereof to you in its teaching you that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts ye should live soberly righteously and godly yea give diligence in Reading Hearing and minding the Scriptures in every truth exercising faith in Christ so will he by his Spirit mind you so of his truths and put such Scriptum est's such sayings of divine Record into your memories and mouths as shall discover the subtilest workings of Satan and his instuments and lead you to avoid them yea to oppose and baffle them Sect. 5. Some objectiont against the Scriptures Answered LEt not vain spirits who make it their business to deceive withdraw you from cleaving to them as the true and faithful record of the Truth of God I know their wiles and what pretences they come withall to withdraw you from them some that they have got from their Father who made it his way to overthrow us at the first to withdraw us from the VVord of God See his first coming to Eve Gen. 3.1 He doth not at the first deny the saying of God but only puts a question Hath God indeed said or hath he in saying said ye shall not eat Gen. 3.1,2 Just like a generation now that knowing they shall not lead men into their errors unless they be first poysoned in their judgements about the Scriptures and withdrawn from credit giving to them first amuse people and try them with this not in a sober but a captious way How do you know that the Scriptures are the VVord of God and that they are true what have you more to say for them then the Turk for his Alcoran the Papists for their golden Legend c To whom I could wish people to give them this Answer that as by faith they understand that the world was made by the Word of God so by faith they know the Scriptures to be of God and of the inspiration of his Spirit and that they will hold to and not listen to any vain reasonings to the contrary but I hope you have a proof of God speaking in them you behold there such impressions of holiness purity truth goodness Majesty and see such a light in them as evidences them to be of him yea and you see their truth both in some experiences of them in your hearts and by the fulfilling of many prophesies in them as they spake long ago of the calling of the Gentiles when they lay all in Egyptian and gross darkness and we see it after so many hundreds of generations fulfilled they speak of the ruine of many then famous places which now answerably are ruined they foretell of such perverse Spirits and Doctrines of Devils in which men would deny the Lord that bought them and mock at saying where is the promise of his coming and bring in heresies of destruction as we may see accomplished even in many of them that make this questioning and therefore we need not go far for arguments to enduce us to beleeve the truth of the Scriptures which is questioned by them they suggest the Differences of some Greek copies of the new Testament and variety of readings which as it cannot be denyed so is it not of any materiall weight for what they subtilty use it those varieties being generally except in two or three places in things of lesser moment and such as either reading in the most Authentick Copies is no whit dangerous or destructive to the faith of Jesus yea usually the different readings do sound so much to the same purpose as they scarce deserve the name of differences as that in Mat. 1.22 we read This is that that that was said of the Lord by the Prophet saying c Others adde the name of the Prophet by the Prophet Isaiah saying So Mat. 2.11 When they came into the house and saw the child some and found the child so others So Chap. 3.9 Bring forth therefore fruit or fruits meet for repentance and vers 12. He shall gather the wheat into his garner or his wheat into the garner and in vers 11. He shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire some omit the word fire there is no danger in either reading but ours is confirmed and that defect in the other of the word fire is made up in Luke 3 16. Where all copies agree that the word fire is added and yet the other reading is in a manner repeated and so owned by our Saviour in applying that saying to his Apostles in Acts 1.5 Many of those readings stand but in a diversity of word to the same sense and differ no more then God wils and God willeth or God commandeth and God requireth as in Mat. 2.13 some read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which differ no more then these two English words kill and slay so in vers 6. some read Bethlehem of Judah others Bethlehem in the Land of Judah so in Chap. 4.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some read and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as others differ no more then walking about and going or travailing about and such are those in the 19. and 23. verses some read I will make you fishers of men others I will make you to be fishers of men He healed them so we vers 22. He healed them all say others so in Chap. 5.11 some read for my sake some for righteousness sake either of them right and both come to one and the same thing many such like differences I might instance
up his sanctified ones unto perfection but that however he and the Doctrine of him are meet to bring in souls to God at the first yet after men are once brought in they must look after some other more excellent thing even as the Israelites dusted in the Wilderness for flesh to bring them to perfection Thence the spirit of Anti-Christ which is the very spirit and inspiration of Satan is Charactarized and described by his denying Jesus to be the Christ 1 Joh. 2.22 and 4.2,3 makeing but a Type or Figure or Fancy of him or not by confessing him come in the flesh that is he magnifieth not or commendeth not to men but as much as in him lieth suppresseth slighteth speaks overly and makes nothing of the Abasement Humiliation Death Sufferings and Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus and so the whole business of his coming in the flesh either more directly and openly or else more closely and by consequence whereas God and his Spirit takes the things of Christ and shews them to men leading them there to have their constant and continual feeeding incouragement to Hope and matter of Consolation And indeed did not Satan some way or other prevail with men either to keep them from Christ or to withdraw them when they have begun to look towards him he should nothing avail in all his attempts against them seeing life is so intailed upon him and put into him that he cannot miss it possibly that misses not of him But alas his design is accomplished in too many men though all are not in the same way deceived by him Some he so hoodwinks and keeps in darkness that they not seeing Christ the Righteousness of God freely given to them go about to establish to themselves a righteousness of their own and submit not to him trust not in his Grace but in their own works thinking that for the goodness thereof or as it were thereby Christ will save them Others he perswads to rest in a Notion and profession of the truths of Christ though they discern not nor imbrace not Christ himself and his Sacrifice in their hearts nor the love of God commended therein to them Others he more subtly snares with a conceit of faith the rise and spring whereof is not Jesus Christ and his Sacrifice and the love of God therein manifested to them while sinners ungodly and nothing better then others but some disposition frame work or some Word or Promise applyed to them by their own reasonings or brought to their minds in which yet the Lord Jesus was not discovered to or set before them But yet more subtly and speciously he plays the Serpent indeed when by pretending to bring them to a better condition then what they have by the faith of Jesus he secretly undermines them and draws them from him of which I desire we may especially beware because he often comes with great artifice and cunning He can suck poyson out of Hony and usher in some way of darkness with words of light as we have already seen wrest some Scripture-saying to turn the eye and heart from Jesus whom they all speak on He will come and tell men that the Death and Resurrection of Christ and so his Sacrifice and Mediation are things without men and what good will they do to the soul if lived and fed on Men must have Christ in them the hope of glory and so doth some times subtly draw men from what he propounds from the Scripture to them For that Christ must be in men the hope of glory is a very pretious truth the thing that above all other I would prefer thee to and wish thee to take heed of being beguiled of but Satan means not so less when he brings that saying For whereas Christ is indeed in the Believer that is in his heart knowledge confidence consideration affection c. for after that manner objects are said to be in the hearts of men as he was made flesh * See the truth of this in Rom. 8.32,33,34 and 1 Pet. 1.3 and offered up himself in Sacrifice for us and is in the vertues thereof at the right hand of God mediating in our behalf and authorized to save us c. the hope not the present possession or enjoymeâ—… of glory as this view consideration knowledâ—… and judgement of him is spirituous powerfâ—… beget and nourish in the soul a lively hope 〈◊〉 expectation of the glory possessed by him for and in him set before us Satan in his tempâ—…ons sometimes takes hold of that and such 〈◊〉 sayings to another purpose for makeing use mens unlearnedness or want of stability in tâ—… Apostles Doctrine he uncloths Christ of 〈◊〉 those considerations of his Death and Sacrifâ—… c. yea makes it his business to withdraw tâ—… soul from him as such a one and so indeed froâ— the true Christ to look for another thing a lighâ— frame power or operation in them not of Chriâ—… as crucified for them and fed on by them though as so considered and fed on he is in thâ— Believer the hope of glory according to thâ— Apostles aim and intention as is said before anâ— not as divested and unclothed of that consideration Nay which is worse Satan sometime prevails so far with men that having stolen thâ— true form of Christ from men and having perswaded them to let go him and their confidence in him as a fleshly Christ and fleshly confidence which they must sacrifice as once Abraham did his Isaac though not with his success for they scarce ever receive him again they part so fully from him and perswading them that Christ is nothing but a certain force power light or operation in the heart he himself cloths himself with the Name of Christ transforms himself into â—n Angel of light and insinuates himself with all the strength and efficacie of delusion into their hearts as the true Christ and his strong deceits and operations as the very inspirations and operations of God and Christ of far more excellency then what the Gospel holds forth as recorded in the Scriptures and so leads them on headlong to their ruine for then no marvel if they run into strange and monstrous conceptions and practises deny the Scriptures make themselves God or a part of him say they have no sin in them that there is no such thing as sin or devil or heaven or hell at least more then is now in men cast off all religious exercises and live like Heathens perswading others to the same things also with them If Satan once have got such credit with men as to be intertained for their Teacher in stead of Christ his Spirit into what principles or practises may not he lead them though it stand not with his policy to lead all that entertain him into such gross ways but to act some as if they were Angels or Messengers of Christ that so others might be the better drawn away after them and so thâ—y be but
us and other we expect and waite not for come come and let go that your fleshly knowledge of and faith and hope in that Jesus Christ the man that was born without you according to the letter and you shall enter into the love with us and shall find all these things that ye there read of done within you you are now exposed to tryals and walk sometime sadly and you are tyed to this and that ordinance but we are past all those things and quite beyond them and we are come to inform you of this our perfect condition in which there is nothing that God reckoneth sin to us nor are we in any bondage but peace and liberty is all our portion You are in hell in darkness but we in heaven in light into which we are come to draw you these and such like are the hony combs that drop from their lips the flatteries with which they entice and lay in wait to deceive the yong and unstable ones boasting of their own peace liberty and high attainments of infallibility and promises of the like betterness to others that will follow them with an undervaluing of others attainments and simplicity of faith that they have in Christ Jesus till they corrupt them from it And indeed whom would not such fair speeches catch and carry away Who would not long to lick at such hony drops and kisse the lips that are so delicious who would not beleeve such fair flourishes when they tell them also they are their experiences especially when they that hear are unsetled and impatient to follow their Jesus through tryals and wait upon him for his glorious happinesse many strong men have fallen by her saith Wisdom and few or none that turn in to her are able to get out again but are so in wrapped in her snares and find so much pleasantness in her deceits have such strong fancies and delusions of joy peace liberty heaven happiness here already God giving them up thereto with such a free run to serve the flesh too that they follow on still as an oxe to the slaughter and as a fool to the stocks till a dart strike through their liver for though this strange womans guests are in the depths of hell yet they are not sensible of it they know it not till Christ by the brightness of his coming and breath of his mouth shall awake them and fill their souls with horror This is the way by which they beguile the simple and unstable souls colouring over their words with here and there a snatch from the Scriptures as Satan also did in his temptations and confessed Christ for his own ends and purposes though in their hearts they slight the Scriptures in generall picking out here and there a line which they wrest and pervert to their own destruction as they will alledge that there is no new thing under the Sun to prove that Christ shall never come otherwise then as he doth come daily and was never otherwise 〈◊〉 childe and weak but as he is at present they will tell you that Paul saith henceforth know we Christ no more after the flesh to prove that the beleeving on Christ as he was made flesh dyed rose and ascended c. is but a fleshly faith and knowledge of him and to justifie themselves for their not so beleeving they will alledge that Flesh and blood shall not inherite the Kingdom of God to prove that Christs body was not taken up into heaven that body which he bade his disciples handle and see that he had flesh and bone in and to prove that our bodies shall not rise again and be made glorious and immortall as also to the same purpose they alledge that the body returns again to the dust and the Spirit to God that gave it they will bring that Christ in you the hope of glory not as the Apostle preacht it but to prove that there is no being of Christ without and distinct from men and that Christ is nothing else then some spirituall frame within and many such like abuses of the Scripture they do make to perswade to the belief of their assertions such as yet bear some reverence to the authority of Scripture and indeed some of them in their Writings and discourses begin with very taking considerations and some true speeches arguing that they have met with spiritual light but have been led away from or perverted in it through Satans subtilty they will speak against a notional Faith and against idle speculations of Christ without power and urge that Christ must be in men and they conformed to Christ and partake of the holy Unction c. and all this way fair and good but then with them or at the close of them they usher in these perverted strains of slighting Scriptures Ordinances Faith in Christ crucified c. yet with such subtilty that there needs a good measure of spiritual understanding and good vigilancy to descry them for by reason of those preceding Truths they begin withall many are unaware caught and taken yea they would deceive if possible the very Elect. Such is the way of the whorish woman such her Panders the messengers of Satan transforming themselves into Minsters of Righteousness to pervert the Passengers towards Wisdoms House into their deceptions but now what is the danger of being snared by them and of falling in to this temptation is nextly to be spoken Sect. 7. Of the danger that attends mens falling into this Temptation THe danger that attends the being taken iâ— these snares or rather the end and issue 〈◊〉 such men as are overcome thereby is altogetheâ— inexpressible but those expressions of it that thâ— holy Ghost hath left us upon Record are such aâ— may well affright us from once listening theretoâ— and fill the hearts spirits of with those inuttâ—rable horror that are guilty thereof The rewarâ— or Wages of sin in general is death Rom. 6.23 and the ruine of all that know not God and thaâ— disobey the Gospel is exceeding horrible viz. to be punished with everlasting destruction from thâ— presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.9 to be debarred for ever from the enjoyment of the presence of God in which is fulness of joy and where are rivers of pleasure for evermore Psal 16,11 and to be shut up in perpetual misery and darkness but yet the expressions of their ruine and misery that run into these snares of Satan are such as evidently assign to them a first portion the holy Ghost being very full and frequent in setting forth the nature and consequents of these kinde of sinnings with answerable aggravations of their punishments for he tells us that these persons that run into these snares do not onely neglect a greater salvation then any formerly in the Law propounded Heb. 6.2,3 but also they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame Heb. 6.5,6 He was once crucified for
soul in patience to everlasting happiness and the fruits that spring up in the soul from that are very good and acceptable Thus Abraham believed and saw not and his faith grounded on the Word was stedfast the sensible deadness of his own body and decay of natural strength nor the known and proved barrenness of Sarahs womb caused him not to stagger but the Word wrought effectually in him to keep him in a patient waiting upon God for the accomplishment of the thing that was spoken and accordingly when he had patiently waited he received the Promise Heb 6.15 the first fruits or some particulars in it for he died in Faith not having received much of it Heb. 11.13 in a better way then Sarahs hasty counsel of turning in to Hagar could have brought about The Word of God the Gospel of the Kingdom being received in a good single honest heart brings forth fruit with patience perswades the heart to waite upon God in his way keeps it from carefulness in a year of drought when sense is not satisfied by more flowing feelings of consolation from the pourings out of Spirit but as faith comforteth in looking to the Word and yet it leads the heart to long and thirst after those flowing consolations promised in the Word in the way of the VVord the desires after which and rejoycing in the injoyments of which I would not be mistook as if I dasht against them or at all faulted It were better for me that my right hand should be withered then write a word to take the heart off from pressing after them in the way of believing but onely from the botoming our faith upon the sensible feelings of them and not upon the VVord that leads to wait for them in Gods way and firms the soul against hast-making and against the ready listening to other doctrines promising greater liberty and freedom or otherwise then the VVord of God declares to us or can there be found for our instruction Take you therefore heed beloved to the VVord of God to believe what he hath said by the mouth of all his holy Apostles and Prophets meditate ye in his Law night and day and try the doctrines yea and the Spirits too that come unto you by their consonancy with those divine sayings and count accursed what swerveth or leadeth you therefrom from or besides the Gospel Gal. 1.8.9 I mean as declared therein so shall you be able to quit your selves as men defending your selves against and driving back from you Satan and his instruments in their Temptations Sect. 4. Of the Scriptures I Know some will grant all this and yet undermine all again by this saying Ay but what is this VVord of God and where to be found Is not Christ the VVord and what he says in and by his and so he being in us speakes to us and what we say he says by us and it s his Word and to be heeded by men And thus even those that come to deceive will put that title upon their own conceptions and sayings and so catch and cheat men For avoiding which snare we are to Know further That as Christ is the VVord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so of him properly and as in his own person merely considered the Apostle here speaks not but of that that declares and unfolds him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is indeed that that God hath spoken by the mouth of his Servants which that none might cheat us he hath ordered and caused to be also written and recorded so much as his wisdom hath seen meet and sufficient for our helpfulness in the holy Scriptures which ceaseth not to be his VVord because written down but becomes of greater usefulness to us for whose sakes they were so written though the letters and syllables as written are but humane instruments of makeing over what was by God spoken yet those divine verities the Oracles of God by and in those mediums made over and recorded are in themselves spiritual and full of divine operations abstractedly taken from the visible Characters or outward sound which are only mediums of conveying them unto men By these then heeded and minded shall you see what is Truth viz. that that agreeth with and is contained in these divine Revelations as also what is the righteousness to be put on and walked in what the Gospel of Peace and its preparation for that Gospel is there recorded as in 1 Cor. 15.3 That Christ died for our sins was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures and the publishing of repentance and remission of sins in his Name amongst all Nations c. Luke 24.47 that also is the right and lasting faith that is grounded upon Christ and God in him according to the Scripture declaration of him to that the Promise is made as in Joh. 7.37,38 He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters as also therein witness is born to the salvation to be hoped for By this VVord of God so written and recorded did Jesus Christ himself in the days of his flesh and of his temptations beat back Satan saying It is written thus and thus shewing us that while we cleave in faith and obedience to that that 's written in the Scriptures of Truth we shall not be overcome of Satan Beware ye then of those that impugn the authority of them and by crafty jugling insinuations indeavour to draw you to a slight esteem of them and to take you off from giving heed to them and so to God and his VVord in them Know that they are the Scriptures of Truth a sure VVord yea more sure and safe for you to look to then any dreams visions or sights be they what they will that any shall suggest to you The Apostle Peter preferred them before his own Vision of the glory of Christ and his hearing of the lively Voyce that came from God to Christ for others faith in him 2 Pet. 1.16,19 And our Saviour instructs us that God would have us mind them and not wander in our desires after other things to bottom our faith on as miracles c. and tells us that they that will not believe them will not believe though one should arise from the dead and declare Doctrines to them Luke 16.31 They are the inspirations of God into his servants the Prophets Apostles whom for this cause Christ being ascended gave unto his Church with Evangelists Pastors and Teachers that we might not be as children tossed to and fro with every winde of Doctrine Ephes 4.11,12,13 but taking heed to their words the words of the Prophets and commandements of the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour 2 Pet. 3.2 we might be preserved from Satan and his Instruments that shall mock at the coming of Christ and other sound doctrines according to godliness and that we might grow up in the unity of the Faith and Knowledge of the Son
which do but manifest that while men have copied out these sacred writings they have sometimes either through heedlesness or through difficulty of right discerning or reading some word overslipt or altered some particles or words sometimes setting down some other of a like or neer signification agreeable to the sense and scope of the Text and sometimes perhaps something being noted in the margin by way of conference of like places in the several Evangelists some word or saying hath thence been afterward looked upon as pertaining to the Text and hath been by others inserted thereinto for so sometimes some word or sentence in some copies inserted in some History in Matthew or Mark more then other copies have is found in the same History in Luke or John by consent of all copies And this is clear that there is nothing of faith about which there are diversities of readings but what other places in which all copies agree will guide us to discern what is consonant to truth of them and which of them is corrupted and doth disagree nor any passage of weight in our received copies out of which our Bibles are translated which other places in which all copies agree will not confirm as in that most weighty place about which there are divers readings 1 Joh. 5.7 there are three that bear record in Heaven c. which some copies have not but most have the Scripture else where attests it to be according to truth for we have the same there in Joh. 1.1.33 clearly spoken of and all agreeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into one as some read it and again in Mat. 29.19 with divers other places which there is no difference or variety of reading in Nay we find the Holy Ghost sometimes varying a word in the Scripture and while the same truth is held forth though with some variety of expression it s still divine truth and not for that variety in expression to be rejected as where Moses said Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and shalt serve him our Saviour repeats it against Satan thus thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve which being both the sense of that place and the scope of divers other Scriptures it was no untruth to say it was so written this objection then is only a frivolous rub put in the way not to be regarded these varieties of readings being found either in matters not essentiall to the faith or if in such yet then they are either so small that they no way alter the truth propounded or are in other places cleared and the right reading attested I know some object against the translating of them that we have them not in their proper language and there is great difference in translations and one Minister corrects one place and another another c. A sorry objection too for 1. we have them in their Originall languages though all understand them not there 2. That languages or words are signarerum the expressions of things and not the things themselves expressed and that the alteration of the sound or name of a thing in severall languages alters not the thing so differently named is clear and that interpretation is needfull in languages not understood to make them understandible is as evident and that there are certain Idioms and properties of speech in every language which are scarce so fully to be expressed in other languages as in their own is confest too by all that understand languages besides that there is variety of signification of some words in most especially the Hebrew and Greek languages which sometimes render sentences somewhat dubious as well in the Original as to the translators and sometime one translator takes a word in one signification sometimes in another which are not cases often obvious but that the scope of the place matter evidence what the use of the word there is though sometimes it doth not so clearly but that there may be diversity of conceptions about it yet this being usually in things less essential to the faith no divine truth essentiall to our beleeving in God and walking aright with him is thereby left uncertain only some instruction or relation of things for our learning and further helpfulness or consolation in the things otherwhere many times more clearly and without all doubt asserted is not so fully made out in some translations as in others which doth but shew an usefulness in giving diligence to understand and make out the properties of the Originall languages by men of learning not at all that we are to slight the divine truths made out to us by the good hand of God upon those who have done their endeavours herein by translating them for us especially seeing we have almost generally left to us in the margin of some editions the diversity of the significations in which such dubious places may be taken that we might consider them both and take either of them as God shall present instructions to us from them and yet the rather too seeing the great mysteries of God and Jesus Christ are in clear and undoubted expressions in all translations amongst us so unanimously represented as that nothing but sloth or unbelief or wickedness can be the hinderance of our attaining to so much of them as may lead us to and preserve us in the way of salvation But yet neither is this all there is yet another wile of Satan that prevails much with many viz. that the Scriptures have another meaning then what the words import a spirituall mystical or Allegorical sense which is the true sense and therefore they are not indeed to be rejected but studied yet not to stick to the literal expression but to find out the spiritual that is the allegorical sense and this comes most up to the old Serpent who did not at the first say God never said ye shall not eat but hath God indeed said or in saying said ye shall not eat c. as if he should say though them words ye heard yet do you think that was the meaning of them there was some other thing in that saying then you think of and not that which the words seem to import this is a very specious temptation and takes with many and the other forementioned are often made of use to usher in this In answering which this I shall say that 1. All Scripture in one sense hath a spirituall sense as by spirituall sense we mean the sense of the Spirit or that the Spirit holds forth but then that is most usually no other but what the words hold forth and express as there is one god one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransome for all the sense of the Spirit in that is as is exprest in th◠words and so usually in other places 2. Many Scriptures are indeed parabolically and figuratively exprest and there the Spirit had a further aime then at what the letter of
stories as that a cock scratching up a dunghill found a Jewel and finding it wisht rather that he had found a kernel of Barley in which he intended not to tell a real story of any Dunghill Cock but under that devised 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Fable to set forth the folly of vain men who if they light of some pretious Truth or meanes of understanding prize it not but prefer some small worldly commodities or pleasures before it as better suiting their principles and dispositions and so under a Tale of a Frog and a Mouse fighting till the Kite catch them both up and devoured them he sets forth the way and issue of civil dissentions in which while both parties fight against each other they both become a prey to some third common and more potent enemy And under the Tale of a Dog passing over the water with a piece of meat in his mouth catching at the shadow of it and loosing the substance he declares how foolish vain men having some substantial Truth and catching at some vain shadow of Truth as if it were another or a more substantial truth loose and fall from that substantial Truth that before they were possest of Such is the nature of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a devised Fable Now the Apostle Peter tells us that they did not so declare the coming of Christ as if what they declared of Christ as born of a Virgin the Word made flesh and as opposed by Herod and other enemies working Miracles dying rising and ascending was but a witty representation of something done within them as of Truth born in an honest and innocent heart and there opposed by Corruption and Lust yet after some strength attained teaching many good Lessons to the soul and doing great works in it curing its blindness healing its lameness inlivening it from its deadness sometimes again stifled as it were by corruption and darkness but yet after a while getting the upper hand again and obtaining a more glorious conquest ravishing the soul and carrying it up into heavenly joyes and consolations Verily if this had been the thing the Apostles meant in speaking of Christ his Incarnation Sufferings Teachings c. and all the History of Christ but deviled to set this forth they have declared as plain and manifest and yet as wisely a devised Fable as ever Aesop devised to represent his moral instructions But the Apostle tells us lest we should be beguiled and led into such a fancy that they did not follow any such thing when they preached Christ but told us a true History and that that was the true Grace into which they have instructed us 1 Pet. 5.12 .. It s a truth indeed and that plainly asserted too in the Scriptures that while w◠behold the glory of the Lord with open face as in a Glass we are transformed into the same image c. that there is a great resemblance between the word of essence or Word that is God made flesh in the person of Christ and the Word or revelation of the grace of God in Christ united to our hearts by faith this conforms us unto Christ in Death and Resurrection It is opposed by corruption and growing up getting roote or dwelling richly in us teaches and admonishes us and keeps us safe in the midst of corruption from being overcome of it yea inasmuch as the Spirit of Christ is in it it gives the soul understanding and fills it with life power and salvation or rather Christ doth all this by it through his Spirit 's working effectually in it possibly to corruption at some time may cloud and dead its operations in some hour of temptation and day of desertion and it may break forth again and shine more gloriously in the soul after such a condition by the power of the Spirit quickning it in us and it may then raise us up in our spirits more gloriously and lead us up to heavenly consolations and all these things may be found attested in the Scriptures but yet this is not that coming of Christ in the flesh the Death and Resurrection of him declared in the Gospel but in some things the fruit of our sinnings against God or of his hiding his face by way of trial of our faith and in other things the fruit and operation of the Spirit of God sent unto us in Christ Name who suffered and rose for us We are to distinguish between the sufferings of the Humanity in the person of Jesus of Nazareth with its Resurrection and Glory his being made Lord and Christ c. and the conformity of the Humanity to him in his members by the working of his divine Spirit in them through the faith of him and not make the things affirmed of the head meet devised things to set forth Truth in the members nay deny the head and make him but a fained type of the members as they that hold not the head Col. 2.19 or ascribe not to the Humanity that suffered rose and ascended or to Christ as in it the true nature of a head I am the larger in this because it having a shew of wisdom beguiles many from the head of all principality and power the Lord Jesus Col. 2.8.10 and as was foretold by the Apostle causes them to turn asideto Fables or rather to turn the Gospel into a Fable This turning all into an Allegory is as notable a baite as any Satan can fish with for if a man be once brought to that that he thinks the Scriptures hold not forth the mind of the Spirit in and according to its expressions but speak of other things then it will follow that the literal expressions will not be much heeded but some spiritual pretended mystery looked for to resemble the things spoken of and then Satan himself transforming himself into an Angel of light may pretend to declare or suggest that true spiritual meaning and the soul hath nothing in the Word left certain by taking heed to which it may dicover him the Scriptures being now made to it like to the Philosophers first matter Omnium formarum capax fit to be interpreted by any new devise or figment that hath a shew of wit and subtilty in it as the spiritual sense of it yea the devil will lead men inevitably by this to deny the plainest affirmations of God in the Scripture as he was bold to tell Eve that in dying she should not dye the dying spoke of was not what she thought of it should be but a dying to her present dark state of faith and she should be as God and live a more divine life of Knowledge and sense so will he nay he doth lead men upon this principle to deny Christ the Lord that bought them suggesting to them that though the Scripture speak of one Jesus born of a woman at Bethlehem and dying neer Jerusalem for our sins and that we ought to believe in him yet the truth is that is but a Fable a
us to have our senses more exercised that we may descry their deceits and discover their pervertings of the Scriptures of which thing also I desire you to be careful that they may not seem to beat you with your own weapons for even they that make no account of the Scriptures will catch at here and there a saying and wrest it against the truth delivered in Scripture so I have met with some to give thee some instances hereof and indeavour thy help herein who against that in 1 Tim. 2.6 that Christ gave himself a ransome for All have alledged that in Isai 51.10.11 That the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Sion with singing and thence argued that Christ gave not himself a ransome for All because all shall not do so insinuating a conclusion directly contradictory to the Apostles Doctrine now in such cases thou art to hold fast the Divine Testimony for truth and though thou art not able to detect the way of their sophistical arguing no more then the way of a Serpent upon a rock Prov. 30 19 yet thou art certainly to hold fast that its a fallacious way of reasoning that men use in such conclusions drawing as in which they set Scriptures together by the ears that are not cross to each other in their plain sayings as its evident there is no more opposition between those two Scriptures before mentioned then between these two God is the Saviour of all men 1 Tim. 4.10 and that The Nations of the saved shall walk in the light of the new Jerusalem Rev. 21.24 Or that Happy â—…t thou O Israel a people saved by the Lord or then is between these two All that are in their graves shall come forth some to the resurrection of life and some to the resurrection of condemnation Joh. 5.29 and that Luke 20.35 They that are accounted worthy to obtain the Resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage neither can they die any more but are equal to the Angels and are the children of God c. And such places are to be cleared to be both true by distinguishing betwixt the things spoken of in them for they speak not ad idem or to the same thing though they use the same kinde of word in either of them as for example That phrase The Redeemed of the Lord in Isai 51.11 is not so general as that in 1 Tim. 2 6. nor doth it reach to all that at any time or in any way are redeemed by him for he redeemed Israel out of Egypt and yet all thence redeemed or ransomed went not to Sion nor shall have everlasting joy and gladness for many of them were unbelievers The ransomed of the Lord in Isai 51. are the stock of Abraham and Sarah ver 2. that are gone into great bondage and shall be brought out again by the hand of the Lord awakned and putting forth its strength and power as in the dayes of old when he brought them out of Egypt it speaks of a redeeming by power and strong hand and a setting free from the yoke of oppression that lay upon them from men and it may be applied further to those that by the like putting forth of glorious power and spirit are brought out from under thraldom to corruption and Satan and from Antichristian slavery as in Rev. 14.1.4 That are redeemed from the earth freed by the efficacy of the Blood and Spirit of Christ in their consciences from earthly affections and from men that is from their tyrannizing over them or they being tied and bound up to men for something in them as men to admire serve and take up their faith and worship by the wills of them such shall go to Sion and sing the song of the Lamb too but that in 1 Tim. 2.6 where it s said Christ gave himself a ransom for all is spoken of as a thing done in Christ and not upon or in men a thing to be declared to men even to the Declaration of which to all Nations to the utmost of his power Paul was ordained that in hearing and believing the goodness of God in Christ so declared to them they might submit to God and Christ and receive that further opening of his Love and Truth to them in and by which he might set them free and in that fore mentioned way of power redeem them This speaks of a ransoming by price and bringing them into such a freedom from the sentence of condemnation fore-past upon all in Adam that Christ that notwithstanding may shew what favor he sees good to them afford his bounty patience and Gospel to them as he pleaseth to lead them to repentance and upon their turning further love them In like manner others deal with the precedent verse of 1 Tim. 2. viz. There is one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus for endeavouring to disprove that we are to look to God by Christ as a Mediator or that the Man Christ is Mediator of God and men they produce and oppose to it that in Gal. 3.20 That a Mediator is not of one but God is one therefore say they Christ is not a Mediator of God as is affirmed 1 Tim. 2.5 and if not of God then not of God and man as is there affirmed also But in the same manner as before art thou to defend thy self against this arguing also viz. hold fast the Divine testimony though thou knowest not how to answer them and know that they deal fallaciously with thee though thou canst not perhaps so plainly tell wherein the fallacy lies with which he would ensnare thee that they oppose as contradictory those things that are not so but very consistent for whereas the Apostle in the Galathians saith That a Mediator is not of one but God is one that is of one mind in both administrations of Law and Gospel and needs none to reconcile himself to himself in his giving of them That of the same Apostle in Timothy rather confirms it then denies it for there is a mediation propounded not of one alone as is the force of the Word One in Gal. 3. but of two distinct parties not as yet fully and compleatly reconciled to each other God and man in which the Man Christ Jesus is affirmed to be imployed as Meditor of them so that these two are both true in their very express sayings and neither of them contradicent to other Again Others to prove that Christ was never otherwise born crucified dead or raised then he is now dayly in the hearts of men and as he was ever from the beginning as also that there shall be no other Resurrection or coming of Christ then is now in and to men in their spirits and always hath been they bring that of Solomon Eccles 1.9 That which hath been that also shall be and what hath been done that shall be done and there is not any new thing under the Sun And that in Chap. 3. What
expectation much more of salvation and glory So that the knowledge and mindfulness of Jesus Christ as made flesh and therein dying for us rising and mediating as in the letter of the Scripture is declared is not the knowledge of him after the flesh in which the Apostle Paul says they knew him no more they that say it is are of the number of them that understand not the Apostle there and in that particular fulfil the truth of Peters saying that in Pauls Writings as some read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some things are hard to be understood which some pervert to their own destruction 2. Again the Apostle in that passage doth no more deny that he believed that there was such a Christ and that he had real flesh or that he hath now a humane body of flesh glorified then in the phrase before where he says that he knew no man henceforth after the flesh he denies that he belives any man to have a body of flesh or to be naturally a man nor doth he there more deny that we are to consider Christ in his abasement for our sins and his glory in the humane nature then in the said former expression he denies that we are to consider or know any of our brethren in their poverty sickness oppression c. to pitty and help them because those things happen to them in and after the flesh and not in or from the Spirit the phrase being the same for knowing other men as about knowing Christ But what then doth the Apostle mean I answer to understand his meaning we must minde the drift and scope he aims at in the place which is this To shew their uprightness and faithfulness in their ministration which was traduced by the false Apostles who by accusing theirs insinuated their own more strongly into the Corinthians affections to this purpose he had before told them that they preached the Gospel as in the sight of God without mixing or maring it as the false Apostles did Chap. 2.17 who made a hotch potch of Law and Gospel together preaching neither rightly while they thought to mix both he had shewed them the difference between the Law and Gospel old Testament and new rather Chap. 3. and their ministrations the excellencie of the New above the old whence he says they used great plainness and boldness of speech not putting a vail over their faces as Moses did Chap. 3.12,13 which things could not be truly said if they had indeed talked as its evident they did speak of a Christ in the flesh dead raised c. but aimed at and meant some other thing typified out by it which we deny they did He had told them that for the manner of preaching Chap. 4.2 they did it simply and plainly without craft and dishonesty wit or eloquence of mans wisdoms framing and that by their plain preaching they exposed themselves to sufferings not onely from the world but the false Apostles too who gloried in appearance in seeming zeal and diligence in and for the Law and in fleshly carnal circumcision vers 17 18. that they respected the recompence of reward and so preached and walked as those that aimed at the receit of it knowing the account they were to give to Christ and the terror of the Lord in that day Chap. 1.5 9.10,11 thence neither did they preach as the false Apostles to please the Jews by appropriating the Gospel to them or by pressing upon the Gentiles a necessity of Circumcision either to make them fit subjects for the Gospel preaching or after the Gospel preaching to â—elp on the vertue of Christs Sacrifice and mediation for their eternal salvation Now here he shews the further ground of this their more upright preaching vers 13 14. c. â—iz the love of Christ constraining them and that â—pon this ground because they judged that Christ died for All Jews and Gentiles one and another without exception whence they infer'd that 〈◊〉 Jew and Gentile circumcised or uncircumcised were dead in themselves and no priviledge they had in the flesh made them acceptable unto God Or as we may read the words rather that â—ll dyed that is in him the representative that dyed for All and so that the power spirit and â—erpetuity of the first judgement and Death â—eing over and past and the inevitableness of â—he destruction therein removed there is good News for All Gentile and Jew prophane and â— ealous there is life in Christ for them All and â—way opened in and by him through which any of them all might be made partakers of it yea in that judgement he further judged that the mind of Christ in dying for them All was that they that live should no longer live to themselves â—ut to him that dyed for them and rose again and therefore it behoved him and all that were intrusted by Christ in that Embassage to endeavor to let all one another know the obligation that lies upon them and that they might see that love of God that should quicken and enliven them in which respect it is that he says wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh c. We must take him in the same matter he is speaking about or else we shall grosly err He means not that in their civil converse with and demeanor towards men they knew or considered not one to be a Magistrate another a Subject because men are not these in or after the Spirit but in and according to the flesh nor would he teach other men in that respect to cast off their knowledge of one another according to their differences in the flesh as if they should put no difference between male and female their own wives and others the Magistrates and otheâ— men as pertaining to their civil converse with oâ— towards them as that believing servants should not look upon any man as their Master according to the flesh especially not upon believing Masters so but as their brethren according to the Spirit and so refuse to own themselves aâ— their servants or bound to serve them 1 Tim. 6 1,2 for this would be an evil doctrine and iâ— quite contrary to the Apostles own teaching desâ—ructive to all humane Society honesty and good government But in regard of their applying the Gospel and Gospel-priviledges to there he means that he knew no man after the flesh that is he minded not or judged any more or less under the Gospel-right by their riches or poverty wisdom or folly in respect of natural parts or education nobility or ignobleness bleness sexe country nation c. or which will come to the same he knew or minded them not in that respect as the wisdom of the flesh would have led him but according as the Spirit of God in the Doctrine of the Gospel represented them viz as sinners and dead in themselves all alike one and other and all as under the free grace of God that had given Christ to dye for them and
as well writ earnestly against them as they have exhorted us to contend earnestly with them Jude 3 11,12,13 And yet thou that callest thy self a Saint dost rather bless them and walk with them as brethren But thou wilt say But are we as infallible as the Apostles can we be so sure what is error as they To this I answer That its true we have not so full a dispensation of Spirit from Christ to us as they had that were to lay the foundation they had greater work to do and their talents were proportioned to their work but yet through their infallible doctrine and by the good Spirit of God given us Rom. 8.9 or else we are not Saints or Christs peculiar people we may certainly and infallibly know the foundamental and essential Truths and Principles of Christian Religion which none can be ignorant of and yet be good Christians The infallibility and certainty in Christ and his Apostles which thou pleadest is an argument against unity with all that thou pleadest for for they having been infallibly guided that that is cross to their infallible doctrine is thereby detected to be false and fallible and thou canst not be one with them and yet not dislike and shun that that is contrary to them Sure if we know and love God we shall have some discerning and derestation of such doctrines as blaspheme or dishonor God and beware of those that bring them If we be Christs sheep we have some discerning of his voice from the voice of strangers John 10.5 so much as may render their voice a strange voice to us and such as is not to be approved of us If a man shall come and tell us there was never any such man as Jesus Christ or that if there was he was onely a type and figure of the true Christ in us and not the very Saviour that he rose not nor ascended nor shall come again in glory that he is not the Mediator between God and us that our dead bodies shall not arise that the Scriptures are not to be heeded in their sayings and yet we cannot tell whether these men say truth or not we are plainly blinded and are not sheep of Christ if we cannot discern these voices to be the voices of a stranger Those infallible Writings of the Prophets and Apostles as they tell us that there are and shall be false Prophets and Antichrists VVolves in sheeps clothing deniers of the Lord that bought them and such as bring in heresies of destruction And 2. That such persons and their Doctrines ought not to be heeded and listened to but avoided by us not received to house or bid God speed but held as execrable and accursed 2 Joh. 10,11 Gal. 8.9 Yea 3. That such we are to contend against with earnestness Jude 3. reprove them stop their mouths give warning of them to others that they may not be snared by them Tit. 1.9.11 So they tell us further 4. That real believers have received an holy Unction by which to discern them 1 Joh. 2.20,27 and so have ability of discerning them and indeed that 's intimated too in their precepts and counsels given us to try and avoid them which otherwise were in vain if they were beyond our discerning Nay 5. They have also notably fore described them foretelling us that they would say they are Christ and deceive many Matth. 24.5 that they deny Jesus to be the Christ 1 Joh. 2.22 make a cipher of him call him execrable 1 Cor. 12. deny the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2.1 confess him not come in the flesh 1 Joh. 4.3 Will mock at the promise of his coming 2 Pet. 3.4 pretending that there neither is nor shall be any alteration no other coming but that that is and alwayes hath been to all the Prophets and Patriarks in all times deny the resurrection of the body 1 Cor. 15. and say that the resurrection is now made or is already past 2 Tim. 2.18 hear not the Apostles in their doctrines and sayings 1 Joh. 4.6 Speak high swelling words of vanitie promising men liberty while themselves are servants of corruption 2 Pet. 2.18.19 exalt themselves above all that is called God or that is worâ—…ipped 2 Thes 2.4 above Magistrates and Governors if not suitable to their humors yea against Jesus Christ and above him and God in him unthroning him and despising his Ordinances as light and foolish things lawless men that worship not God pray not to him nor call upon him yea in a word by their fruits we may know them Matth. 7.16 for they lead from Jesus Christ the onely begotten of God in whom onely we may meet with salvation either to rest in their own works joyned with or preferred before Christ or else to looseness in principles and practises to walk after their own ungodly lusts self-lovers covetous boasters of their abilities knowledge attainments proud so as to lift up themselves as is aforesaid blasphemers that is speakers evil of Gods Wayes Temple Ordinances and them that worship therein disobedient to parents either natural or spiritual in Christ unthankful to God especially for his love in Christ and for his appointments for their good unholy not living to God and Christ not calling upon him giving thanks to him c. without natural affection to their own relations truce-breakers that keep not Covenants or ingagements to God or men false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of them that are good 2 Tim. 3.1.2,3,4 c. A marvellous thing it is that a man should be a Saint and yet not know the essentials of that Word that sanctifies him should be begotten by the Gospel and yet know not that Gospel by which God hath begot him so as to discern it from other doctrines that God hath writ to us by his servants so plainly of these things and we have the benefit and help of those gifts given by Christ to them that we might be seâ—led and not tossed to and fro like children and yet we know not who say right and who say wrong sure we know nothing then and so know not what charity is or what love we should walk in and toward whom if we know not the Gospel in its first and bottom doctrines cannot discern whether men preach with or besides that doctrine taught or recorded by the Apostles when we hear them speak they never so fully for or against it we have lost our eyes sure and understanding Obj. But must we not do to them as we would they should do to us though we do discern them must we not still love them Answ I answer yes them that are not given over to destraction them that we see not to have sinned to death and to have trampled under foot the Son of God counting the blond of the Covenant after it hath been sanctifying them an unholy or common thing and have done despire to the Spirit of Grace which things as they may be discerned by us so are we
God made to rule day is but one and its the Sun and yet that light is after one manner in the body of the Sun and after another in the glorious ray and beam the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or shining forth of the Sun in another manner yet in the air illuminated by the beam from the body of the Sun and yet all these but one light not three lights yet that one light hath a threefold manner of subsisting the Sun is not one light and the ray or beam of the Sun another and the clearness or bright shining in the air illuminated through the beam a third but one day light or light of the Sun The Sun is the fountain and generateth or begetteth its â—ray or beam and worketh by it whatever it doth by way of illumination heating quickning c. yet is not the body of the Sun its ray or beam Again the ray is begotten and generated in a sort by the Sun and yet its cotemporary with it It evidences the Sun lives by its dependence on the Sun is in the Sun and the Sun in it after a sort so as that it doth nothing of it self without the Sun nor the Sun without it which comes down from the Sun and is not the body of the Sun nor subsists of it self without the Sun Again the clearness or light difâ—used into the air proceeds from the Sun the fountain of light by with in and through the ray or beam yet is it neither the body of the Sun nor its ray for it is and may be where the ray is not but is intercepted as to the proper substance of it as in a cloudy day or in a room where the Sun beam comes not and yet these cannot be divided one from the other for this clearness cannot be but from and by vertue of the ray and of the Sun So that if either of them were taken away and removed from the Horizon the luster or illumination in the air ceaseth and they cannot be but this is and follows too Here is an unity of light in a threefold way of subsistence by which we may darkly see into the glorious mysterie of Trinity in Unity which no similitude can fully illuminate the Father is as the fountain of the Deity and to the Son or Word as the body of the Sun to its beam not to be seperated from each other or divided so as the one can be without the other though the Father is first in order of nature he of whom are all things and doth all by and nothing without the Son or Word as the Sun doth nothing without its beam The Word or Son in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.2 The brightness or offâ— shining of the Fathers glory Lumen de lumine light shining for discovering and leading up to the fountain of light always with the Father and yet came down from the Father and doth all from him and yet is not the Father but the Son yea and forther as the beam of the Sun may be contracted and as it were so incorporated in a burning glass or the like so as the glass by vertue of the beam and the beam by the glass worketh otherwise then either glass or beam by themselves could have done and yet neither the light nor the body of the Sun is to be so contracted but only the beam so was it with the Son or Word he was imbodied or incarnate in the nature of man and the man Christ Jesus by vertue of the Word so contracted as it were or incorporated in him did such glorious things and got such a glorious conquest over sin death and hell as man of himself â—ould never otherwise have done or gotten nor was the Word in and by it self perfected for and yet neither the Father nor the holy Spirit was so incarnate or made man and yet further the Son had all his vertue in himself from the Father and in the Spirit without which he â—ould do nothing as the ray contracted derives all its vertue that it shews forth in and through the glass from the body of the Sun without which it could neither be nor do any thing The holy Spirit is the power vigor and divine verâ—…e proceeding from the Father that fountain of divine glory from and through the Word by which we have and enjoy the benefit of the Sun and its beam when both of them are otherwise interpreted and clouded out of our sight I mean the Father and the Son even in a day of temptation and spiritual hiding of himself in his more glorious shinings But these things I bring onely to shew that there may be such a thing evidenced even to reason and sense as a three-fold way of subsistence of the same created being that so we might not stumble at that which the Scripture hints to us so abundantly about the Trinity in the Unity of the divine Being Concerning which I needed not to have multiplyed so many words were it not that the old Serpent not abiding in the truth is so prevalent in blinding men and corrupting them from the unerring Oracles of Divine truth to listen rather to the shallowness of their own purblind reason For the Saints are not without experience in themselves did they well mind it of this distinction in the glorious workings and operations of God in and upon themselves in their believing they prove the Father calling them to himself by the Son in the power of his Spirit they have believed the love of the Father in sending forth his Son and in the word of his Gospel they have felt his power and Spirit drawing and inabling them to believe in Christ and to approach by and through him unto the Father according to that Eph. 2.18 We both that is Jew and Gentile have access through him to wit Christ by one Spirit unto the Father namely to call upon him trust in him and have fellowship with him Indeed they that depart from the Son they both lose the operations of his divine Spirit and fall from the right worship of the Father into Heathenism or such philosophical speculations of God and of his Being as were found with the ancient Heathens that had not the light of the Gospel to instruct them and no marvel then if they fall from or deny the mysterie of the Trinity as in the Apostolical doctrine is held forth with those divine operations that should evidence the truth thereof unto them But now to return again to the matter whereto I was exhorting viz. the doctrine of the Gospel to be held forth to men as it supposes the Being of God and he but one though thus distinguished so is it not only the bare affirming him to be but one or in that Unity so as before to be distinguished that 's to be delared but his Name according to that Unity and distinction the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost viz. how God
turn preachers of the Law to them in stead of the Gospel to bring them to some such fruits as legal repentance sorrow reformation and upon such things found in them as what else but fruits of Law and a legal conscience can be produced by them before the grace and love of God be held forth to them as testified in Christ toward them they are bold to apply the Gospel to them as if they were the undoubted signs of Election for so much is intimately implyed by comparing this their practise with their other Assertions of the Grace of God and Death of Christ limited to the Election from which practise of their legal preaching it comes to pass that some working and striving for this and that frame and attaining to some legal qualifications or workings with the Pharisee presume that they are righteous and have part in Christ and bless God as if his Grace had wrought those frames in them when as his Grace that is his love and goodwill in Christ they never apprehended or believed nor was that the ground and rise of those frames and changes in them but onely is inferred and concluded to themselves upon those frames by them Others spend their dayes in sadness and in labouring as the Israelies under their Egyptian Task-masters to get to themselves those frames which onely the belief of Gods Grace would kindly effect in them falling short of what they seek in themselves to build their title to the Gospel Doctrine of the Death of Christ upon they pine away in a servile slavery and are alwayes neer unto desperation unless mercy otherwise breaking forth unto them seasonably relieve them Take heed therefore of this preposterous preaching of Election and Reprobation to the world and limiting the Gospel and death of Christ to the Election which no Scripture doth and declare that to the world that Christ hath instructed us that his servants are to declare to them viz. tell them of the feast prepared in Christ forgiveness with him his death for them all things ready for their entertainment God willing that they be saved and Christ perfected for their saving and thereupon invite all and call upon them to go to the wedding to believe and submit unto him And where it pleases God to work so powerfully as to prevaile with some so as that they are perswaded to let go all for him to receive him believe in him and cleave unto him we may comfortably mind them of the doctrine of Election as the Apostles have used to apply it to believers minding them it was Gods goodness and free mercy and grace to them that they are preserved or plucked out from the same unbelief wickedness that is found with others or not given over for their follies against him when as many others perhaps as little or less rebellious have been more severely dealt with by him and that in Christ in whom they believe they are made compleat being by Gods order from before the foundation of the world chosen in him to be holy that is a peculiar devoted portion for God and blameless in love before him and when we see men neglect and slight the goodness of God propounded we may tell them how God rejected such and such for their folly against him and warn them lest for the like follies the same should befall them as Jer. 6 30. and 7.4,5 yea when we see men resting in their birth works priviledges c. we may well mind men that God hath not chosen the flesh and seed thereof as such to inherit with him not Adam and his seed as such nor Abraham and his seed as in the flesh nor the Law and its seed but Christ and his seed or members to inherit glory with him the rest otherwise then as they may be born again and become the seed of God in Christ are rejected from part and portion in his kingdom not from Gods good will toward them and the death of Christ for them for that was for sinners ungodly enemies yea as considered in such an evil condition but from fellowship with God c inheriting with Christ which none shall partake of that abide but in that state of nature yea though advantaged by more honourable birth or more zealous frame in which Christ extended his pitty to them in dying for them that so they may be pressed to let all go for Christ in whom there is both sure and certain ground for their repenting and believing and out of whom there is nothing to be found but perishing Now if ye do thus walking answerably thereto not measuring the outward court Rev. 11.1,2 given to the Gentiles as if we appropriated it to our selves onely but worshiping God in his Temple in fellowship with Christ and his people that are in union with him and at his Altar or in the sacrifice and meditation of Christ labouring both by word and conversation to bring up the Gentiles from their Gentilism and resting in the outward Court of external profession to the circumcision of the Spirit and worship of God in the same in the inward man and in his Temple and Altar as before Then shall ye find his blessing upon you making you a blessing to them and filling you with his own spiritual blessings in grace and peace till he bring you safely to the full injoyment of the glorious promises Even so Amen FINIS Postscript ONe word more I would commend to you viz. That of our Saviour Iohn 6.56,57 He that eats my flesh drinks my bloud abides in me and I in him c. a most excellent and choice direction for our preservation from the errors here in the Treatise mentioned and from all other that may indanger our miscarrying Would we abide in Christ that is in his faith Spirit lowe Iohn 15.10 and so in the experiment and injoyment of the fruits and vertues of his mediation for us and would we have him abide in us as surely he will if we abide in him that is have his love Spirit and divine power abide in our spirits making us fruitful and filling us with divine and eternal life and by consequence would we be preserved from the errour of the wicked and from drawing unto perdition This is the choice and most sure and excellent way to eat the flesh of Christ the flesh given by him for the life of the world ver 51. and drink his bloud the bloud of the covenant shed for the remission of our sins that is to mind view diligently look upon consider meditate on and keep in believing remembrance the abasement of the Son of God for us his obedience and sufferings in the flesh to the death the death of the Cross for us the satisfaction given by him for our sins the victory obtained over death the pretiousness of the bloud and sacrifice of Christ the peace thereby made redemption obtained the prevalency of it with God for us the covenant and promises thereby sealed the performance whereof he mediates in the vertue of it to his called c. and verily we shall be preserved we shall prove it the power of God to save us Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 15.1,2,3 1 Iohn 2.24,25 Heb. 3.1.6.14 Gal. 2.20 Search these Scriptures and see how they fitly explicate the business live we then by the faith of Jesus and forget we not the stripes by which he heals us But alas as many taste not the sweetness of this heavenly Manna but abide ignorant of the Cross of Christ feeding and living upon their actings sorrows good desires confusions performances changes zeal self-acted and conceited believing as indeed I know not how many should do otherwise because the Testimony of God holding forth the Death of Christ for all which should let them see good and undeniable ground for minding it and feeding upon it forsaking all other things for it is by the guids generally denied and condemned as an error so as they durst not believe it and therefore they having no divine evidence in the Word of God that Christ died for them they are put upon it to reason it out by their acts and changes fore-mentioned and to make them the evidences to themselves of it so as they must needs be the bottom matter of their feeding and consolation so many do but taste it abide not there to eat of it Heb. 6.4,5 but after they have found some sweetness in it fall a lusting after evil things counting this heavenly food but a dry bread and so they either feed upon their past acts of believing their rejoycing the operations of it in them which are often soon dried up for want of supply from this Fountain Christ crucified or else they reach after some more seemingly glorious matter of their feeding as is before spoken to Chap. 3. Sect 4. and so forget that they were purged from their old sins or the means rather of their purging the true bread that should have nourished them and either turn to the world and their corruptions again or are carried away with some strong delusion to their ruine from which the eating or feeding upon the flesh and bloud of Christ those despised low things in the eyes of proud men would have preserved them Note also that when in some passages I fault men for hearing any whom they will my meaning is not that I would have men tied up to this or that man as if it were unlawful to go from any to another or to hear any for trial-sake or the like but my meaning is that men are faulty in having an itching ear that when they have found Truth yet they will be out of curiosity or self-confidence diving into and trying what good they can get in some other doctrines Such an hearing of them as our Saviour says his sheep will not afford to strangers from him Iohn 10. FINIS