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truth_n	seek_v	spirit_n	worship_v	7,034	5	9.8542	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60227	The life and death of Sir Henry Vane, Kt., or, A short narrative of the main passages of his earthly pilgrimage together with a true account of his purely Christian, peaceable, spiritual, gospel-principles, doctrine, life and way of worshipping God, for which he suffered contradiction and reproach from all sorts of sinners, and at last, a violent death, June 14. Anno, 1662 : to which is added, his last exhortation to his children, the day before his death.	Sikes, George.	1662 (1662)	Wing S3780; ESTC R19959	148,120	164

Israel Chap. 41. 8 9. Thou Israel my servant Iacob whom I have chosen the seed of Abraham my friend unto whom I have said thou art my servant I have chosen thee and not cast thee away Here the holy seed or divine birth of God's Image that makes the true Israelite by faith is described to be of a nature and quality that is incorruptible securing him in whom it is whether Iacob the chosen servant or the seed of Abraham the chosen friend as well as chosen servant from ever being a castaway Hereby is intimated what it is to be the chosen faithful servant and no more and what it is over and above to be the chosen and intimate friend that is called and admitted to see God face to face a friend speaks with friend Thus of Aaron it is said Exod. 4. 15 16. That Moses should speak to him and put words in his mouth and saies God I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth and will teach you what ye shall do And Aaron shall be thy spokesman unto the People he shall be to thee instead of a mouth and thou shalt be to him in stead of God Consider how interpretable this is of the son of man glorified the great Prophet of all in the person of the blessed Mediator set down on the right hand o● the Majesty on high who still reteins the form of a servant or perfection of his natural man in its incorruptible form with which as with a mouth typified by Aaron he comes forth as a head to the holy Angels and Iacob his chosen servant in a suitable way of converse and fruition to their capacity speaking therein to the body of the People whilst at the same time he is in his spiritual manhood exalted to an equality with the eternal WORD as the man God's fellow admitted to a communication with God face to face as f●iend speaks with friend In this glory he is more properly the very mouth of God typified by Moses in a capacity and● fitness for converse with the Bride the Lambs Wife as head to the general Assembly of the first-born who are a sort of saints of greater dignity and preheminence by whom the manifold Wisdom of God or secret Name his WORD shall be made known to principallities and powers Ephes. 3. 10. The lowest sort of all these heaven-born Saints that have but the single portion of the spirit have not onely by the external influence of Christs heavenly Nature such a change as the legal or first Covenant Saint has from the polluted to the cleansed and reformed state of the natural man which make but a member of the mystical earthly Ierusalem that may become the spiritual Sodom but by the very seed of Christ's heavenly nature sown in them they have an inward real partaking of the divine nature or that new principle of Life which baptizes the natural state into a conformity with and subjection thereunto advancing it thereby for ever into a sublimated incorruptible form It is in his Light onely with whom is the fountain of all Life and perfection that we can see Light Psal. 36.9 In the spiritual new-creature discerning onely of a divine communicated understanding and superinduced form can we see that objective light or unveiled glory of God that renders the true heir everlastingly blessed But even amongst the children of the heavenly kingdom the children of the Resurrection there are some of a first and others of a second Resurrection into a more exalted state of Life and glory Yet all the Vessels of glory great and small will be filled from the Ocean of those unutterable riches of divine Glory that are in Christ which no natural eye can see There will be no want or envying one another there Concerning ORDINANCES HAving already spoken joyntly concerning this Sufferers Principles and Doctrine I come now to mention his way of worshiping God and what his Judgement and Practice was as to Ordinances After that way which men call Heresie did he worship the God of his believing Fathers Abraham and the rest Acts 24. 14. He was for worshipping God in spirit and in Truth such the Father seeks to worship him Joh. 4. 23. He lived walked worshipped prayed spake in the spirit and so as the oracles of God 1 Pet. 4. 11. ministring as of the ability that God gave him that God in all things might be glorified This language and way of Worshipping God that is so despicable to man is that onely which hath the praise of God He kept the true mystical Sabbath not thinking his own thoughts c. Esay 58. 13. He was baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire He did in such sort eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ that he was thereby brought into a conformity with Christ in his death and had etern●l Life abiding in him Iohn 6. 54. This is satisfactory to God in this point that that answers his well pleasing What further shall be said shall not be in order to please but instruct convince and stop the mou●hes of gainsaying men Tit. 1. 9. He that worships God in the power of the single or double portion of the spirit of Christ does undeniably worship him in spirit and truth The power of godliness comes in with this new creation Spirit All Worship Righteousness Ordinances or whatever performed but in the ren●wed reformed enlightned gifted adorned state of our first-creation spirit amounts but to the form of godliness that faith that may be shipwrack'd that interest in Christ and that good conscience that may be lost 1 Tim. 1. 19. They that have not the divine nature in the sence above expressed 2 Pet. 1. 4. are blind and cannot see afar off vers 9. they discern not the land of distances the new Ierusalem They may have great illumination excellent gifts and in the confidence of these they say they see what get they by that Therefore their sin remaineth Iohn 9. 41. that is is unpardonable there remaineth no more benefit of Christ's sacrifice to them There remaineth onely at last upon final refusal and resistance of the new-creature life spirit and way of worship nothing but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery inignation which shall devour the adversaries Heb. 10. 27. and Chap. 6. 4 8. Their light their seeing takes away all cloak for their sin Iohn 15. 22 and 24. The warning which the true spiritual watchman gives them if neglected and despised by them does dangerously set forward this work through their miscarriage under it and becomes a savour of death to them Act. 13. 40. 41. but even so a sweet savour to God as prospering in the thing whereto he sends it and accomplishing his pleasure 2 Cor. 2. 16. Esay 55. 11. These keen concisionists that cannot afford a good word for the true circumcision that worship God in the spirit and have no confidence in the flesh or in the knowledge of Christ after the flesh they

came presently to a parting blow Yea this change and new steering of his course contracted enmity to him in his fathers house Mat. 10. 36 37. It was also suggested by the Bishops to the then King concerning him That the heir of a considerable family about his Majesty was grown into dislike of the Discipline and Ceremonies of the Church of England and that his Majesty might do well to take some course about him On this the then Bishop of London took him to task who seemed to handle him gently in the Conference but concluded harshly enough against him in the Close In fine seeing himself on ●ll hands in an evil case he resolved for New-England In order to this striking in with some Non-conformists which intended that way his honourable Birth long Hair and other Circumstances of his Person rendred his fellow-travellers jealous of him ●● a Spye to betray their Liberty rather than any way like to advantage their design But he that they thought at first sight to have too little of Christ for their company did soon after appear to have two much for them For he had not been long in New-England but he ripened into more knowledge and experience of Christ than the Churches there could bear the Testimony of Even New-England could not bear all his words though there were no Kings Court or Kings Chappel Amos 7. 10 13. Then he returns for Old-England Shortly after the leading and preparatory passages to the Long Parliament and the late great publick changes drew on From the beginning of that Parliament he became such a drudge for his Countrey so willing on all accounts both in Person and Estate to spend and be spent in his chargable circumstances and unwearied endeavours for the publick Good and just Liberties of men as men as also for the advance of the Kingdom of Christ in these Nations as I know not any former age or story can parallel His Principles Light and Wisdom were such that he found the bare mention of his utmost aimes amongst his fellow labourers would in all probabillity so expose him to censure from all parties and sizes of understanding as would disable him for doing any thing at all He was therefore for small matters rather than nothing went hand in hand with them step by step their own pace as the light of the times would permit He was for quitting still the more gross disorders in Church and State corruptions in Courts of Judicature Popish and Superstitious formes in Religion and wayes of Worship for what he found more refined and tollerable But he ever refused to fix his soot or take up his rest in any Form Company or Way where he found the main bulke of Professors avowedly owning but such inward Principles of Life and Holiness as to him evidently lay short of the glory righteousness and life hid with Christ in God He was still for pressing towards the mark Phil. 3. 14. He was more for Things than Persons Spirit than Forms This car●iage of his all along in New-England and in Old exposed him as a mark for the arrow from almost all sorts of People rendring him a man of contention with the whole earth Yet was he all along a true Son of Peace a most industrious and blessed Peace-maker to the utmost of his power for the reconciling all sorts of Conscientious men whatever variety of Perswasion or Form he found them in● to one another and to Christ. He never affected any military employment He was in a litteral sense free from the blood of all men as well as in a spiritual by his faithful performance of the duty of a Watchman not shunning to declare unto all men the whole counsel of God Ezek. 18. and 33. and Acts 20. 27. They that call him a man of contention what would they have said of David He though a man after God's own heart had so abundantly shed blood in his great warrs that it was objected as a reason against him why he should not have the honour of building a house unto the Name of the Lord his God 1 Chron. 22. 7 c. Yea he left order with his son Solomon on his death-bed to take such course with Ioab and Shimei that their hoary heads might be brought down to the grave with blood 1 Kings 2. He was no humoursom conceited maintainer of any perverse or irrational opinions but a most quiet calme composed speaker forth of the words of Truth and soberness at all seasons upon all occasions and in all companies He was full of condescention and forbearance hating nothing more in his very natural temper than brangling and contention He would keep silence even from good though his sorrow was stirred by it and the fire-burned within while he was musing Psal. 39. 1 3. in case that either wicked or but short-sighted good men were before him that he perceived could not bear more spiritual and sublimated Truths Iohn 16. 12. He became all things to all men that he might by all meanes save some 1 Cor. 9. 22. His heart was of a right Scripture latitude stood fair and open for any good but no evil All sorts of conscientious inquirers after Truth found a friendly reception with him yea he was in a constant readiness to perform any warrantable civilities to all men Any thing that was good he owned and cherished in the honest moral Heathen legal Christian or spiritual Believer and so sought opportunity by honest insinuations to catch them with guile and lead them forward into more excellent Truths 2 Cor. 12. 16. But more particularly yet to undertake that general Reproach that was cast upon him to wit That he was a man of Contention from his Youth up where ever he came or had to do in New-England or in Old He was a true Believer that 's enough if ye knew all to set all the World against him He was not of the world and therefore hated by it Iohn 15. 18 19. He was partaker of God's holiness Heb. 12. 10. had eternal Life abiding in him stood possessed of the Wisdom and Words of that Life which the holy Ghost teacheth 1 Cor. 2. 13. and he could not but speak forth the things he had heard and seen Then there 's no dealing for him Rev. 13. 17. Divine Truth seems most frightful and contrary of all other to men puts all men to a gaze renders the witness-bearer thereof like Ieremiah a man of contention with the whole earth He needs no other occasion of controversie the meer and single declaration of this truth will do it Here 's the ground of the quarrel with him for this every one will curse him Ier. 15. 10. This was Paul's case even amongst the professing Churches of Christ converted by his Ministry that were yet but in their own Legal short-sighted-spirit they were ready to have pluck'd out their eyes and have given them to him while gratified by him in the first branch of his Ministry for renewal of

are hot about the outward circumstances of worship time place and the like Christ reproves them in his answer to the woman of Samaria at Iacobs Well Neither in this Mountain nor at Ierusalem shall ye worship the Father but in spirit and truth Joh. 4. 23. Neither in this Form nor that but excluded out of all Synagogues has the true Church and Spouse of Christ been worshipping God this twelve hundred Years and upwards in her mourning persecuted wilderness-condition out of which she is shortly to appear and speak for her self By this Sufferers reckoning the time times and half a time or three years and a half are very near expired those forty two moneths and one thousand two hundred and sixty days prophetical for years all which do character and point out the same Epocha in Daniel and the Revelation for the Churches abode in the Wilderness from the time of her flight mentioned Rev. 12. 6. She will very shortly be called up out of the wilderness by the name of Shulamite which comes from the same word that Solomon and Salem do signifying Peace This true peaceable Pilgrim and Spouse of Christ that in her Life and Testimony hath been so disgustful to this world out of which she is chosen as to be reputed by all the Inhabitants of the earth a wrangling Heretick a Blasphemer and one that turns the World upside down will shortly come up out af her political grave or exclusion from all authority or allowance in Church and State into the exercise of true Christian Polity in both in association with the holy Angels who with the risen Witnesses will make up the two hosts before whom no opposite power of contradicting man wil be able to bear up See for this Cant. 6. 13. Return return O Shulamite return return that we may look upon thee What will ye see in the Shulamite as it were the company or dance of two Armies Mahanaim relating to Iacobs two hosts of Angels and Men when he was to meet Esau Gen. 32. 1 2. and importing the victory these two obtain over all their enemies as also their dance or triumphant rejoycing after the victory And all this yet amounts but to the preparatory work for the second coming of Christ by plucking up every thing that offends so as at last there may be nothing to hurt in all the holy mountain Mat. 13. 41. Esay 11. 9. But how shall the risen Witnesses handle their enemies when spirited and set upon their feet as a Nation born at once and in one day Esay 66. 8. Rev. 11. 11. 'T is answered fire shall proceed out of their mouth to devour any that would hurt them and in this manner must they be killed that is at the desire of the believing risen witnesses angels that are a flaming fire Psal. 104. 4. will destroy any men that oppose them Fire goes out of the saints mouth that is by prayer to God on which the angels are commissioned to do execution immediately and irresistibly without more ado Thus fire went out of Elias his mouth to devour the two Captains and their fifties Angels were the executioners 2 King 1. 9 12. Those acts of Elias were but Types and shadows of what will be done in the end of the world at the winding up of all dispensations towards the highest even the personal coming forth of Christ with all his New-Ierusalem Armies following him Rev. 19. 14. As to what will be performed by the risen Witnesses relation is had to Elias and to Moses Rev. 11. 6. Where 't is said They shall have power as Elias had to shut heaven that it rain not and to smite the earth with Plagues as often as they will as Moses did in Egypt It may appear what work one Angel can make with whole Armies of men a hundred fourescore and five thousand Assyrians were slain by an angel in one night in the Leagure before Ierusalem 2 King 19. 35. But to return from this Contempla●ion of the true New-Ierusalem spirited Church and Spouse of Christ and what she will do when she comes out of the Wilderness consider we a little the general posture of all visible Churches even at this day as this Sufferer hath left it represented to us in writing There are many Churches in the World that make a profession of the Name of Christ under several Forms and Denominations according to the variety of Judgements and Interests of the Rulers Members thereof There is a Church called Catholick or Universal headed by the Pope who pretends to be Christs Vicar There are also National Churches he●ded either by a Civil Magistrate as the Church of England or by general Assemblies as the Church of Scotland hath been with other Reformed Churches There are also particular Independant Congregational Churches distinguishing themselves into variety of Sects and diversity of Judgements and Opinions as well about the way and order of the word of matters of worship and the service of God as in what they hold Fundamental in matters of Faith These all make up one Body as to the owning and upholding a Church in some outward visible Form who notwithstanding all their differences and protestings against one another do generally agree together in one mind as to the preferring of the Church in Name Shew and outward Order before what it is in Spirit and Truth as it is the real and living Body of Christ. Hence it is that the true Church indeed the very living real spiritual members of Christ's Body have been for many hundred years a dispersed captivated people under all worldly powers civil or Ecclesiastical and never been suffered to use or enjoy a freedom in their Communion together and the purity of God's Service and Worship but are upon one pretence or other restrained by Humane Lawes and suppressed as Hereticks Schismaticks Fanaticks and such as turn the World upside down while those that have the repute and credit to be the Church or Churches of Christ under some one of the Formes and outward Orders b●fore mentioned have the Powers of the World on their side and are contending one with another who shall be uppermost and give the Rule of Conformity in Doctrine Worship and Church Order to all the rest by Compulsion and Persecution But the dayes are now h●stening apace wherein the living Members of Christ's Body shall be made manifest in distinction from all those that have the Name to live but are dead Thus in brief you see his Judgement concerning the Church Concerning BAPTISM he writes thus THere are several Baptismes spoken of in the New Testament and the Doctrine concerning them hath been so dark and mysterious that there is little yet extant in the Writings of men concerning the same that carries with it satisfaction There are two general tearms under which all Baptismes mentioned in the New Testament seem to be comprehended that is to say Of Water and of the holy Ghost and Fire Water Baptism is twofold and