this not as I will but as thou Not what I will but what thou will Not my will but thine be done Lo I come to do thy will I utter thy truth and thy Salvation I do not conceal thy bountifulness and thy Faithfulness in the great Congregation Christ did not in the least go beyond or beside his Fathers will and word The New Testament is full of this The sitting at Christs right Hand and at his left was not in Christs Power to give but or except or if not to those for whom it is prepared of my Father so Christ told the Sons of Zebedee and their Mother It was his to give but only to such as were specified in the Fathers Grant to him Thus he elsewhere affirms of himself what the Son hath seen and heard that he testifieth no more no less no other than that he whom god hath sent that is Christ whom the Father hath sent speaketh the words of God My meat is that I do the will of him that sent me and Finish his work The Son can do nothing of him self except he see the father do it whatsoever he doth also doth the Son likewise I can of my self do nothing I seek not my will but the will of the Father that sent me The Father gave me works to finish The father himself hath sent me Iam come in my Fathers name I came down from Heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me my Doctrine is not mine but his that sent me If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self he that speaketh of himself seeketh his own Glory but he that seeketh his Glory that sent him the same is true and no unrighteousness is in him I am not come of my self but he that sent me is true I do nothing of my self but as my Father hath taught me I speak these things I do alwaies those things which he hath appointed I speak that which I have seen with my Father I came not of my self but he sent me I have not spoken of my self but the Father which sent me he gave me a Commandment what I should say and what I should speak and I know that his Commandment is life everlasting Whatsoever I speak therefore even as the Father said unto me so I speak the words that I spake unto you I speak not of my self the word which you hear is not mine but the Fathers which sent me I have kept my Fathers Commandements all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Thus also the LORD Jesus Christ acknowledgeth in his Prayer to his Father Father thou hast given thy Son Power over all Flesh that he should give eternal Life to as many as thou hast given him I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do I have manifested thy name unto the Men which thou gavest me out of the world Thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy word I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me I have given them thy word and the world hath hated them An exact punctual just accompt of this great undertaking and Transacting will Christ give and deliver up to his Father in the latter day The discerning Reader may see how express Christ is in this matter he exerciseth his Power according to his Fathers will and word And the Father as also the Son from the Father hath not revealed any such thing in the word of truth as the Change of the Weekly Sabbath from the last to the first day of the Week There is no appearance of any such Institution or Command Christ came not to make a Change in any one of the Laws of the ten words where did the Father put any such words into Christs mouth and where did Christ ever speak any such words As Christ was to speak what words the Father put into his mouth So also the Holy Spirit of Truth whom the Father sent in Christs name he was not to speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear saith Christ to his Disciples that shall ye speak How much less should any meer Man or Men speak a word about a pretended Change of the Sabbath which is a saying of their own and not a word from the Father Son and Holy Spirit in this or in any other Case It was the LORDs charge and Promise to Moses I will be with thy mouth and with Aarons mouth and will teach you what ye shall do speak thou all that I say unto thee And Moses has a Scripture-testimonial that he was Faithful in all Gods House It is mentioned to his Praise above forty times that Moses did as Jehovah commanded him The same was in Jeremiahs commission which he confesseth Jehovah said unto me I have put my words in thy mouth and this Jehovah affirms of Jeremiah my words in thy mouth Thus saith Jehovah was the usual message that the Faithful Prophets brought to the People and it is expresly mentioned about one thousand and five hundred times in the Scriptures besides other such like words as thus saith Jehovah Aelohim of Israel and thus saith Jehovah of Hosts often Now who can say with any truth in his saying thus saith Jehovah The first day of the Week is the Sabbath Weekly in the Room of the Seventh the last day of the Week I am now to speak of the Promise There is no Promise made to the observing of any other day in the Week as the Weekly-Sabbath-day but only of the seventh-day which is the last day in the Week in the weekly returns of it Here all that might be resumed which is Written about Aelohims Blessing of the seventh day and that only as the Weekly Sabbath-day To which also might be added all those promises which more at large are made over to those that keep and obey all and every of the Commands of Jehovah Aelohim Whereof this of observing of the Weekly-seventh-day-Sabbath is one But I would keep close to this Subject matter The seventh-day-Sabbath is a gift from Jehovah Aelohim to be a sign between him and between his People to the end they may know that he is Jehovah sanctifying them And that he is Jehovah their God How free is that Love how rich that Grace which is put in to this Covenant And this is annexed to the seventh day as the Sabbath of Rest Holiness to Jehovah What kind of sign this is may be spoken unto in another place Moses in his repeating of this Law of the Weekly seventh-day-Sabbath doth four several-times put this Covenant of Grace by Express terms into this Command whereby Hearts should be the more
Jehovah forgivest the iniquity of my sin To this agreeth that of Isaiah who brings in Jehovah himself thus speaking I I for my self blot out thy transgressions and remember not thy sin And the same Prophet doth record it of Hezekiah that he thankfully acknowledged this Thou O Jehovah hast cast behind thy back all my sins And that was the same which Isaiah had experienced in his own case Thus speaks the Prophet Micah in an holy triumphing manner Who is a mighty God like unto thee Forgiving iniquity and passing by the transgression of the remnant of his Inberitance Thou wilt cast all their sins into the bottom of the Sea And long before him this was revealed to Moses when Jehovah proclaimed this to be part of his Name He who forgiving iniquity and trespass and sin How often was this Truth preached over in the Sacrifices for Sin offerings and in their Typical Washings and Purifications and such like which held forth this in the spiritual meaning of them And Christ appointed some who in their Function by Office were to teach Jacob his Judgments and Israel his Law to shew them what those Truths and Things were that were so shadowed out by those Figures Thus also was not the Sanctification or Holiness of a Covenant-people The Declared Will of Jehovah Aelohim Is not the Command express in Moses's Book Ye shall sanctifie your selves and be holy for I Jehovah your God And ye shall keep my statutes and do them I Jehovah who sanctifie Ye shall set to it to be holy and ye shall be holy for I holy Has he not put that honour upon them by calling them Saints His Saints An holy People in Covenant with him How many ways did he preach this Doctrine to them The Priests must be Holy the Levites Holy the Prophets Holy the People Holy the Convocation Holy the Sabbath Holy the Place of Worship Holy the City Jerusalem is named Holy the House Holy the Mount Holy the Land Holy the Garments Holy the Tabernacle Holy the Temple Holy the Scriptures Holy the Law Holy the Covenant Holy Did not their whole Burnt-Offerings call upon them to be sanctified throughout their whole intire Spirit and Soul and Body to be kept unblamable Did not the Precepts to abstain from prohibited Pollutions and to use prescribed cleansings in case of contracted uncleanness speak the same Truth Was not the Law of the ten Words a comprehensive perfect Doctrine of all Holiness and Righteousness And are not the Sermons of the faithful Prophets full of Dehortations from sin and of Exhortations to Holiness If thou wouldest be instructed in the Doctrine of the Resurrection Did not the LORD Christ himself prove and teach this out of the saying of Jehovah Aelohim unto Moses in the Bush I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but the God of living From whence he doth infer that though Abraham Isaac and Jacob were dead as to their body yet they were still alive in their Spirit and Soul which bodies were parts of them and therefore their bodies should in time rise again For hereby it was evident that there is another life after this is ended which those departed Saints that were dead as to this life had their shares and parts in So that God not only was heretofore but still now is and will be their God after their death The Bodies of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob shall rise and therefore the bodies of the dead shall rise they shall live again whereas now they are dead and therefore they shall arise For he is their God now they are dead and therefore they shall live again though now they be dead For God is not the God of the dead who are so dead that they shall never live again So that he declaring himself to be their God ever since they were dead it must unanswerably follow as convincingly concluding that their bodies shall live again With what a clear judgement and holy confidence doth Job speak the same truth I know said he that my Redeemer living and that the latter one shall rise upon the dust Therefore after I shall awake and that the worms have digged through this yet in my fiesh I shall see God Whom I shall behold to me and mine eyes have seen and not a stranger My reins are consumed within my bosom Was not Christ's Resurrection plaintly taught in the sixteenth Psalm Where Christ himself doth thus express his sure hope of rising again from death the third day My flesh shall dwell in considence for thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol Thou wilt not give thy gracious Saint to see corruption doth not Peter so interpret this And did not Paul so explain and apply this And if the head be raised must not the members of that body to which the head is so nearly related in union and in fellowship be raised also Hath not David left behind him a lively Testimony of his firm belief of this in his day and time When he set out the different apprehensions that he had concerning his expressed happiness in another better hâ—â— and world from what the unbelieving men of this World had They those mortal men of this transitory World they counted their good things to be their part and portion here in this life I saith he as if he all past into this this was his Belief this was Hope this his Portion this his Happiness I in justice shall view thy faces shall be satisfied when I shall awake with thy image There would be a day when he should awake out of the dust of the Earth from the sleep of death when he should see and know plainly and perfectly and bear the Image of the Heavenly The Psalmist speaks of a Morning when those that sleep in the dust of the Earth shall awake and rise He believed that Aelohim would redeem his soul from the hands of Sheol because he would receive him A glorious Testimony of his belief of a Resurrection Daniel in his Prophetick Spirit speaks of a time when many of them that sleep in the dusty Earth shall awake some unto everlasting life and some unto reproach and shame everlasting Which doth also point to a Day of Judgement following of this Resurrection Though Daniel in this place doth not seem to speak of the last general Resurrection yet hereby insinuating the Doctrine thereof According as Enoch also the seventh from Adam is recorded by Jude to have Prophetyed Behold the LORD hath come with his holy ten thousands to do judgement against all and convincingly to reprove all those corrupt Worshippers of them concerning all those their works of corrupt worship which they have impiously done and of all their hards which they have spoken against the LORD who sinners worshiping corruptly The wicked shall not stand up in judgement as is
and Collated with other Scriptures For they wholly refer to another Matter and to other Sabbaths than the Flatterers of the first day do lay a wrong Claim to As for that word in the Feminin gender which they do translate First but signifieth One I have examined the Exactest * Concordances of the Greek New-Testament and I find it Seventy and nine times used there or about that number and upon a searche into all and every of the places the translation of one of the Learnedest who doth correct the Vulgar Latin Interpretation is One. I could mention more Translators if there were need only for the Information of such Readers as do understand only English the Dutch Annotators and Translators in five of those seven places forementioned in the Margin do acknowledge that the Greek word doth signifie One Only in two of the seven which yet do relate to the same Greek words they render it First without expresly mentioning the true proper significancy of the Greek word which is One which was in five other places done by them Whereby the discerning Reader may observe what their Judgment was in those other two places and no where else that I have yet found of all the rest of the Seventy and nine times do they translate it First but only in one place more I have taken care in going over every one of the particular places and I do not knowingly or willingly misreport any one Quotation The Masculin and Neuter gender of the same word whereof the sorementioned is the Feminin in their several Cases are used in the New Testament Two hundred and seventy or seventy one times As the forementioned Concordances do set them down in every one of which those words are rendred by one of the most Skilful-literal-Translators One In one place he leaves out one Clause in the Original wherein one of those words is and so he translates it not at all but leaves the Vulgar Latin Interpretation in the Margin where it is taken in and rendred One. And in another place he puts in one word for another and renders some One or a certain one for One. In all those Two hundred and seventy or seventy one places the Dutch Annotators and Translators do not in any one of all those Scriptures give this Word in either Masculin or Neuter Gender the significancy of First but always of One. No man that understands the Greek significancy of this Word can but confess if he will speak out the Truth that the Greek word is Properly Primitively One from a Verb which doth denote to be For a being is Unity As for the other word translated Sabbath Sabbaths Upon search I discover that It is used Sixty and eight times in the New Testament In every one of which places that Skilful-literal-Translator spoken of before doth render it Sabbath Sabbaths in the Singular or Plural according as the number is The Dutch Annotators and Translators do render it Sabbath Sabbaths in every one of the places according to the Greek though in Nine places they render it Week also Eight of which do relate to the matter under debate yet in every one of them acknowledging the Greek significancy in its propriety of speech to be Sabbath or Sabbaths All Lexicons and Languages that do derive it from the Hebrew do give this to be the true Genuine Primitive proper significancy of the word which the very sound of the Word doth prove to every Ear that hears it Let then the words be in the Translation as they truly really signify One of the Sabbaths Which if it were done and received as it ought to be what a Scriptureless thing would the first day of the week be discovered even by plain Understandings to be No Translation of Scripture is any further the Word of God than it doth exactly agree with the Original Those who do translate these words the first day of the week do borrow a Phrase which is meerly Talmudical and not Scriptural and it is Invented by Men not grounded upon the Word of God As the words themselves in their own sense are not at all either against the Weekly seventh-day-Sabbath or for the first day of the week as the weekly Sabbath now which is the Common pretence and the mistaken Plea So neither is the meaning of them in any of those places as they are Construed in Syntax standing in the coherence of the Text or as compared with other Scriptures Those places which are cited out of the Four Evangelists the other will be spoken to in their order do in all and in every one of them relate to the Passover-Sabbaths on one of which Christ arose from the Dead The Word of Truth doth here expresly call and name them Sabbaths and therefore we must own it that they were such to wit Sabbaths days of Holy Rest The Authority of the Scriptures should suffice upon which this Appellation doth strongly bottom All the Evangelists are express for the Passover at which time these seven Festival days were and other Scriptures in the Old Testament do agree hereto For under that former Dispensation there were other days in the year as the days of the Passover of Pentecost of Booths of the Fcast of Expiation which are called Sabbaths in express words Shadowie Figuring Typical Sabbaths they were The Weekly seventh-day-Sabbath is a natural Weekly-standing-Sabbath of a different nature from the other Consider further that the first and the last days of that Paschal-Festival are expresly called and named Holy Convocations or Convocations of Holiness So they were to be unto the Israelites They were not to do any Function of Servileneâ—s in them The same Command as to this that is given for the observation of the Weekly seventh-day-Sabbath in the Fourth Word Which doth shew that they were to be kept as Sabbaths The same thing for the Publick Worship and service they were to do To a day every one of those seven days of this Passover-Feast besides the Ascension the Burnt-Offering which was the Dayly-Sacrifice a Burnt-Offering of Continuation which was offered up every day without any intermitting The same thing also which was injoyned on the Seventh-day-Sabbath There were also all the offerings and oblations of the New Moon and somewhat more For it exceeded the sacrifices of the Feast by one Bull and a Ram. Every one of these seven days were Holy Assemblics Feasts to Jehovah and when performed aright they were the savour of his Rest The last day of this Paschal Festival is called in Hebrew a day of Restraint because though so many days together had been Sabbatized on before yet the people of God should not be weary of their priviledg but be willingly restrained one day longer from their servile Work and be retained together in the Publick Holy Assembly Thus deriving its significancy from a root that signities
several of the Ecclesiastical Historians have been examined by me upon this subject matter and I have some Collections by me about it enough to shew how little credit is to be given unto those kind of Authorities which are so fallible and sometimes so self-contradicting and so altogether unsatisfying when the matter of Right comes to be Inquired after and determined any further than they do speak the mind of Christ in his word For either in these Cases of Conscience they write and speak according to the word or not If they do let these Scriptures be particularly pointed to with which they accord If not they are not to be received or followed Yet in regard that my design is to bring all to the Scriptures of truth referring this and all else under Aelohim to their Judgment I shall therefore now debate the Principle with this objector So much of matters of fact as do relate to matters of right and as are necessary for us to believe in order unto Salvation is Recorded in the word of truth Whereunto the whole Scripture is profitable which is enough for us if no more were written by me concerning this particular question in hand For that Scripture referred to is proper and pertinent to this purpose about Christ and his Resurrection and his appearing to his Disciples and his Blessing of them and conference with them as is plain in the foregoing part of the same Chapter and other Scriptures collated and compared with this do evidently speak it But we have yet much more to say about this To assert the perfection of the Scriptures is one of the great truths of the present Age The forces of Earth and of Hell are now joyning together and putting forth their strength to assault and to attempt the overthrow of this useful Doctrine As it was in the daies of Christs Flesh when he was familiarly Conversant here on Earth the Roman Power the Grecian Wisdom the Jewish Traditions Ethnick Philosophers and Diabolical possessions all the humane and devilish Force and Art and invention was called together to War against Christ and against his word So in the latter daies the Worldly might Old and New Philosophy Institutions and Impositions Histories and Traditions Inventions and Authorities of men unwritten pretended necessary verities Generall Councils sayings of those whom they call Fathers Articles of Faith composed by men Confessions and practise of Protestant Reformed Churches the judgment and practice of Learned and Godly men these and such like Extra-scriptural places are the swaying Authority with many whereby Antichristianism and Antiscripturalism in a many of particulars are still held up and maintained against the LORD and against his word who in this Providential day is pouring contempt upon all Flesh upon men and upon their sayings bringing a Blast upon them so far as they are contrary to sound Doctrine and do oppose the mind of Christs Revealed in the written word and is putting a Crown on Christ and an Honour upon his word the Testimony of men may be and often is in Fact Erring and Fallible uncertain and lying self-contradicting and unsatisfying Into which therefore the Christian Doctrine Faith and Religion is not to be resolved either in whole or in part For the word of Jehovah is like himself who is the Author of it of invaluable veracity and of unchangeable truthfulness He truth it self and his word The Truth He a God that is true and that cannot lye and his word That which is truly purely such the word of truth His Law is the truth The asserters of the Seventh day to be the Weekly Sabbath for which we have the whole Scripture are charged with Errour because we will not be resolved by humane Authorities to own the First day in the Room of it Whereas if men do err greatly err it is therefore because they know not the Scriptures nor the Power of God put forth in a word-way To assign somewhat else for a cause of this which is not a cause is a by-way of paralogizing-deception of sophistical-arguing and of Fallacious disputing The LORD Jesus Christ doth not in his word and where else as from him shall we look for it assign this as a cause of mans erring that they do not know the magistral dictates of humane Rabbies It is the proud Arrogance of the Antichristian usurper to impose his own placits upon the Churches as if he were imperial Dictator to mens Souls and vniversal Monarch over their Consciences Neither is their Erring from hence that they know not the Antient Records of uncanonicall Church Histories which do sometimes write Contrary to themselves and to one another as those do understand who have been faithfull diligent comparers and collectors of such passages and this both in matters of Fact and in matters of Right and this Objector himself doth confess he Judgeth that some of the writings of these Antients are spurious and corrupt And how few are there of those to whom the Gospel is preached and upon whose Hearts that word of Grace and of Truth doth take most saving holds to which word the LORD himself doth bear witness are versed and read in this kind of Ecclesiastical History And which way shall they be ascertained that it has been all of it read over by others by their Guides and teachers particularly or that the report is faithfully brought to them or if that were whether they ought to be swayed by it Were Church-Histories unerringly inspired Who is so bold as downright to assert this Or if any were so daring how can he prove it Who of our plain Converted People had humane Histories in his thoughts when he was thorowly Regenerated and gratiously visited from Christ and from the Father of Christ by the Spirit of Christ in the word of Christ What a kind of Faith is that which doth ultimate it self into humane Church Histories He that would have judged of the state and Case of Jehovah's Church and people in the daies of Ezra by making search in the book of those Ecclesiastical Records and have judged according to what was Historifyed there would have brought in an hard Charge of Rebellion and of Sedition against them and have been ready to have irritated the powers that were over them against them as their Adversaries did Neither do men therefore err because they know not the Tradition of the Elders which has long obtained by common Custom and by little Controlled usage so as to plead prescription unscriptural Customes and Tradition is a part of that Redemption which our LORD has wrought out for his People And it is a choice Mercy to be throughly delivered from them For in the event and effect they would un LORD Christ and the word of Christ of his and of its due Autority For which he condemned those Scribes and Pharisees of his daies who would have obtruded these upon him and upon his Disciples but he confutes them by his
writing and to keep the Records of it well attested especially when another doth claim a former Title for some hundreds of years As this of the seventh-day Sabbath did for some thousands of years for some ages beyond the memory of man and when they could not but foresee that their Title would be so much called in question and controverted and especially too where the Matter of Fact is pretended as it is by this Author so much to prove the Matter of Right All Matters of Fact that do pass into Historical Writing are fittest to be written in the same age wherein they were done as being then better known in their circumstances by sensible demonstrations which cannot be so well discerned in after ages How fond are Traditionists of unscriptural humane Antiquities and Universalities Whereas Errors have been ancient even as long full home to the times of the Apostles Even then did the Mystery of iniquity begin to work there were even then many Antichrists and Malignant Assemblies and when the Antichrist shall be revealed there would be a great Apostasie and Defection from the Truth The Revelation hath foretold that all the World would go a whoring after the Beast and would worship the Beast and the Dragon that gave him power yet are these some of their Notes of a visible Church Antiquity and Universality which that they might be the sooner imposed upon the hoodwinck'd credulous World have another vain pretence going along with them altogether as unscriptural and vain as they that is that the Church cannot err And they falsly call their particular Romish Synagogue the Catholick Church I expectingly believe and hopingly wait for a coming day when our plain tender sincere upright-hearted people will be undeceived and no longer to suffer themselves to be deluded and imposed upon by such confident Assertions as this Objector doth bring them As if that which beyond all doubt must assure them that de facto the first day was by the Apostles separated for holy Worship especially in publick Church Assemblies is the full and unquestionable expository evidence of the practice of all the Churches in the World since the very days of the Apostles For so has this Learned Author affirmed Reader bethink thy self what thy Faith must resolve it self into if it will follow this misguiding How can such believers as never traded in this kind of humane Learning ever come to undoubted assurance about the matter How can they be fully ascertained of this who were never versed nor are ever like to be neither are under any such obligation by any Scripture Precept to be throughly versed and understandingly read in all and every of the Writings of all and every of the Ecclesiastical Histories that do write about this Or if it were possible and facible that they could compass this of which I can see no end who yet have more helps and advantages this way than the most How can they unquessionably be confirmed in this perswasion that there never was any one Church of Christ that did escape the Humane Church-Record and History And if so who can tell them but that that particular Church might be of a different judgement and practice What doth this kind of arguing in this Author mean What would it have our people to resolve their satisfaction and assurance concerning the pretended first day Sabbath into that report which their humane fallible Guides do make unto them of this without their tryal of it The Word of Christ doth call upon them to try the spirits whether they be of God and to prove all things that are thus brought them by Teachers by the Scripture-canon and Touch stone as the one and the only infallible Rule What a kind of Faith is that which is a trusting of fallible men without tryal a depending upon Humane Authorities without Scripture Evidence The God-inspired Authority of Christ and of his Word is fully attested within the holy Scriptures own bounds and needs not step out to Humane Histories Authorities and Traditions However this Author would buz into the ear such amazing expressions as this that it is impossible it should be otherwise than as such Humane Historie doth record of the practice of all the Churches since the times of the Apostles and that this Testimony is infallible Humane History and that part of it which they call Ecclesiastical History however it be a pleasant study and an employ someways in its place profitable yet of all kinds of Scientifick Learning is one of the weakest common places of arguing and the least convincing for demonstration because it doth resolve its probations into the fallible Testimonies of lying men and so doth not cannot give any firm full satisfaction to an inquiring Spirit and studious Mind who will still be doubtful and afraid how he doth bottom his Faith in so weighty a case as is now before him upon such an unsure and unsafe ground as he can build no firmness of belief and certainty of knowledge upon even the uncertain witness of deceivable men what their eyes and ears and tongues and pens have reported to us who are so many hundred years come into the World after they were dead and gone that way of disputing therefore which this mighty man of Humane Reason has walked in to find out some place if he could where to make his First day Sabbath cause to stand is such a by-path as doth mislead his Reader into bogs where he cannot settle and stay with any good confidence and sound comfort Such arguments may take with over credulous minds and with passive intellects who through idleness and guile of spirit in a matter which would ingage them in so much of self-denyal and of cross bearing had rather use another man's writings and reasonings than be at the pains of studying of the Scriptures and of exercising their own understanding What has at large been written in trying this Objectors spirit upon the former Scriptures in an answer also to the next mentioned by him in the Revelation which he calleth another Historical hint of the New Testament How can a change of the weekly Sabbath-day from one day to another from the seventh to the first be soundly proved from this other Scripture where he that is of a serious spirit and doth diligently inquire after word-satisfaction about this matter cannot find either Sabbath or First day either in terms plainly expressed or clearly implyed or necessarily inferred in this place or in the context or in the design of the Holy Spirit here or by comparing of it with other places of Scripture Those that would lay the foundation of so great a change should see their Scripture grounds to be more evident convincing and firm What one Word is there in this Scripture that doth warrant any new Instition from Christ for the observing of the First day as the weekly Sabbath-day What one word is there here of command so to observe the First day What one word
great Church Assembly did he not teach in that Sermon of his at the Mount the same true Christian Doctrine which was delivered of old to his faithful Messengers from him the which to bring to his people And did he not vindicate the verity and purity of it from those corrupt wrong Interpretations that false Teachers had given of it Did not Christ who lay in the bosom of his Father declare and reveal the whole of the Will of his Father under that former dispensation of Grace so far as concerned that Dispensation And is it not one and the same Will still the difference in the manner of dispensing only well observed Were not they then taught all things and all Truths whatsoever that were necessary to Salvation Were not they fully and perfectly directed the true right way to Eternal Life Were not they strictly charged from Christ by his Servant Moses not to add to the words that he gave them in commandment nor to take from them And must not that Word then be a complete Directory and comprehensive sum of all Doctrinals as well as of other matters O who will give that this Word of Christ may ind wel in us copiously abundantly in all Wisdom O let it not stand as a stranger without doors but let us receive it in and find a place for it in our inmost parts That it may be as well known and familiar to us as the most dear delightful companions and the most near beloved Relations with whom we dwell and converse Let us be well acquainted with the whole of it and diligently compare it in the several parts of it Be we much and mighty in the Scriptures of both the Prophets and also of the Apostles receiving the whole as a Doctrine revealed from Heaven by Christ O that this were more found in our Hearts and Minds In our Memory and Conscience in our Wills and Affections That all the good Fruits thereof may abound and be more visible in the whole of our Life There we may learn all saving Wisdom There is the perfect Knowledge to be had of all things to be both believed and done that Eternal Life may be obtained There are Universal Principles of this Law of the ten Words which do pertain to Faith and Manners and these Practical Dictates which every one of these Laws doth include is a Fundamental Truth and Doctrine necessary to be believed as that we must have Jehovah Aelohim for our God and him alone that we must worship him according to his Institutions in his Word and not in any other way of Humane Inventing and imposing that we ought to have an holy reverent use of his Name That the Seventh day is his Sabbath in which we may not do the servile works of our particular calling that the Father and Mother are to be honoured and so of the rest Whoever doth believe the contrary to these is guilty of erring in Decalogical Fundamentals Have I not already demonstrated and proved by the whole Scriptures those great Doctrines concerning the Jehovahship the Christship the Mediatorship the Lordship the Lawgivership the Creatorship of the LORD Jesus Christ Would the Reader have more Doctrines thus manifested The Doctrine of Regeneration was preached of old The first Creation of Man was an exact Patten and a lively Samplar of this when man was made in the Image according to the likeness of his Makers he having a concreated resemblance unto his Creators in Knowledge in Righteousness in Holiness in Dominion in Glory this was defaced by the Fall of Man and is again restored to Sons and Daughters of God in Spiritual Recreation which is a new man renewed unto acknowledgement according to the Image of him who created him in Righteousness and Holiness of Truth As Paul doth speak David acknowledgeth in the Book of Psalms that a new heart is Creation-work So glorious and excelling a piece as that it is the making of a new World of Men and of Women A Work that none but the Almighty-creating power can do and therefore all the Honour and Glory of it must be given to him alone This is the humble confession called for Know ye that Jehovah he God he made us and not we his people and sheep of his pasture This is variously expressed in the Old Testament in very significant Words Moses sets it out by the circumcision of the heart So doth Jeremiah David by Creation and Renovation Isaiah by Jahovah's creating a people for his Glory for his Forming of them or Framing them anew by the Spirit of Regeneration Ezekiel by a Resurrection a Life from the Dead he calleth it a new Heart a new Spirit an Heart of flesh Jehova's giving of his Spirit in the innermost of the Covenant-people The Prophets often by conversion or turning from sin to Jehovah Aelohim What Spiritual Discerner doth not here see the same Doctrine which Christ preached to Nicodemus when he discovered to him the necessity of being born again from above otherwise there could be no seeing no entring into the Kingdom of God Affirming once and again and the third time that this must be Which when this great Doctor understood not what this Spiritual Regeneration was what that was which was born of the Spirit The LORD Christ reproves him for and convinceth him of his Ignorance Art thou a Teacher in Israel and knowest thou not these things Whereby he evidently shews that this was no such new unheard of Doctrine before but the same that was taught in Moses's Book and by the Prophets Wouldst thou be led to some other great Truth Consider that Doctrine about Justification Hath not Habakkuk declared that The Righteous by faith he shall live And is not this three if not four several times mentioned in the New Testament Hath not Paul confirmed the same shewing that The Righteousness without the Law only by faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe hath testimony from the Law and the Prophets Doth not Jeremiah call Christ by this name Jehovah-tzidkenu Our Righteousness Did not Noah preach the same true sound Doctrine Was not that which was said of Abraham that He believed and it was imputed to him for Righteousness Was not this written not for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for our sakes also to whom it shall be imputed even to them that believe in him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered over for our sins and was raised up for our Justification Were not Believers of old well instructed in the Doctrine of free Remission of sins O how kindly was David's heart affected herewith when he tasted the sweetness and enjoyed the good of this Truth O the blessedness the happy goings on of him whose trespass is forgiven whose sin is covered O how Blessed the man to whom Jehovah imputeth no iniquity and in whose spirit no deceit Thou O
a Virgin was a Law under the Old Administration And to believe actually in that particular person this Christ when come in the Flesh as so born of the Virgin Mary is a Law of the New Testament yet so as that this Quateneity as so born of the Virgin Mary is one part of the New Testament Ministration properly as such and so in that respect doth belong to another matter And thus in some places Faith doth set out the New Dispensation of Grace The short and plain is this Faith in the Messiah or in Christ was a Law under the Old Testament-dispensation or it was then a commanded Duty to believe in Christ which was to be done in obedience to a Law of Jehovah Aelohim For the Advancement of this sort of profitable Learning I propound these following Inquiries which if well cleared up from Scripture might bring in some considerable Augment to this Holy Science Q. Whether there be not convincing evidence in the Word of Truth that fallen Adam and Eve did actually repent and believe in the Messiah for Justification Acceptation and Salvation Q. What Names are there in the Old Testament given to Christ which do set him out as Mediator as Saviour as the Justifier of his people and as being their Righteousness Q. What Types and Figures and Shadows were there of this Doctrine of Faith in the Messiah under old Testament Dispensation Q. Whether if all the Hebrew expressions were put together that in the Old Testament are expressive * descriptions of Faith Trust Hope Expectation in the New with all the Synonyma's and Phrases referring to this subject matter it would not discover much of lively Faith in the Saints under that former Dispensation That Faith was a Law under the Old Testament Dispensation I thus demonstrate both in the general significancy of the word grounded on the Almightness and Faithfulness of Jehovah Aelohim and also in the special acceptaon it for closing with applying of relying on Jehovah the Messiah and his Righteousness for justification in the sight of God In its general significancy it has a firm Foundation a rockie bottom even the Power and Truth of the omnipotent unchangeable Jehovah a God of ability to perform and of veracity to fulfil what he has spoken and promised Every Word and Truth of God revealed is the general and common object of Faith A lively working belief of this though seemingly but in the general yet has great influence upon the special actings of justifying Faith for the Scriptures do give us instances of too much and too often questioning the Power and Fidelity of Aelohim in his Word and Promises in some particular trying Cases as long hiding of his Faces great withdrawing delay of fulfilling of Propheties and Promises not answering of Prayer carrying himself as one angry at the very Prayers of his people much conflicting with and yet frequent foyling by some particular bewailed confessed corruption under violent temptations the LORD 's seeming forsaking of his Churches and people his shining upon and prospering of the Enemies of the LORD and of his people his seeming to act contrary in his works from what he covenanteth in his Word with more of this kind But I suppose that it is the notion of Faith in its special acceptation that is intended by this pretended new Law of Faith in this Objection That this Faith in Christ is now in more clearness spiritualness evidence growingness heavenlyness for the manner and degrees of it we thankfully and admiringly acknowledge to the praise of God of rich Grace and of free Love who has brought us under this new and more glorious Administration But there was the same Grace of Faith in Truth and in reality for its Nature and Essence in the savingness and justifyingness of it for the kind and specifickness of it under the Old This we also affirm was it not this saving and justifying Faith which the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews do speak of when he said The just by faith shall live Those who are justified counted just by Faith in Christ applying him and his Righteousness shall live that life of Grace and of Comfort of support and stay of waiting and of dependance here which shall pass into an eternal life of Glory of full Vision Injoyment and Happiness And was not this Testimony brought out of the Old Testament which is used once and again and a third time in the new And in every one of the places in the new it is applyed with respect to Justification by Faith in Christ So in the Epistle to the Romans the Righteousness of God of Christ who was God as well as Man for the complete satisfactory righteousness of such an one did we stand in need of is revealed in the same Gospel of Christ from Faith to Faith as it is written But the just by faith shall live That Righteousness by which a Believer doth stand justified before the Judgement Seat of God and can be no other Righteousness but only the Righteousness of Christ this is a free gift from the Father and is through the inworking of the holy Spirit by Faith imputed to Believers The like sense it has in that passage of the Epistle to the Galatians that no man by the Law is justified before God is mentioned for the just by faith shall live referring again to that place in Habakkuk whereby to prove justification by Faith in Christ only as the Context doth evidently declare And thus in the formentioned passage to the Hebrews having in the last verse but one of the tenth Chapter cited that Scripture in the Old Testament the Author proceeds in the first verse of the eleventh Chapter to describe the true spiritual Nature of saving justifying Faith and he gives particular Instances and Examples of the Saints of old who acted this Faith Was it not by this Faith in the promised Seed of the Woman in Christ that Abels person and Sacrifice was acceptable to God and by which he obtained witness that he was Righteous and so justified in the sight of God Was it not by this Faith that Enoch pleased God who gave him this Testimony and was therefore honoured with the priviledge of walking with God here and then of Gods taking him away to himself Was it not by this Faith that Noah prepared the Ark as a Type of Christ by which he became an heir of the Righteousness which is according to Faith Of which Righteousness of Justification by Faith in the Messiah Noab was Preacher to others Was it not by this Faith that Abraham was justified Did not he believe God Jebovah the Messiah who appeared to him And was it not accounted to him for Righteousness And is not this brought in by Paul in his Epistles to the Romans and to the Galatians to prove the Doctrine of Justification by Faith in Christ by his Righteousness imputed to the Believer Did not Abraham receive
not the lips of Knowledge go we from him his foolishness is deceitful Sophistry deceptory fraud But the Wisdom of the Acute is to understand his way of practical business Philosophical Folly has too long been made an Hereditary Possession one Generation to another Inâ—pt Opinions have been pertinaciously reteined But the Wittily-ingenious who take up with naked Truth in naked Souls they crown themselves with Knowledge and they put a Crown upon Knowledge Wisdom is their rich and royal Ornament The tongue of the Wise maketh knowledge good grateful commendate renders it amiable adapting of it and opportunely using it to time place person and case Speech when according to the Laws of the Heavenly Apothecary-Art salutiâ—erously compounded of proper Scripture Ingredients is Healthfulness curing the unsoundness the grief of mind There is healing Medicine in such a tongue The lips of the Wise do sow Science they winnow it first sever it from chaffy Philosophy and then sow it pure That is the true good Knowledge which the Wisdom of God doth teach in the Word The best Intelligence is that which is grounded upon the Word To this should we attend and bend our mind referring all our study hither especially the teachers of others they of all men should be in these written Words They are then in their proper Studies and Places it should be their Being and Life This makes men wise in heart it doth prudentiate and intellectuate them The suavity the sweetness of the lips will add Doctrine by a commodious aptness of savoury Expressions and by a pleasing elegancy of winning Eloquence we should be Lords Masters Possessors of this The heart of savoury wise ones will make their mouth to understand it will suggest to the tongue what how when where and to whom to speak A more inner understanding of a Truth or Thing doth much help the Faculty of Speech about that Truth and Thing New noble Conceipts will still be under-begotten It expedites the lips when the Rule of all is this Word Savoury knowledge may be seen and read in the faces of such prudent ones It puts a placidness modesty right-composedness upon their Countenance which is an Index of their Wisdom Such are Cool of Spirit Moderate placid sedate not hot and hasty and rash to pour out Words Those who have all their desire and delectation in this to find out in a way of searching all solid Science and useful Wisdom they withdraw themselves from Philosophick and over-worldly Diversions to immix themselves in those Holy Studies that do bring in durable Essence Their Understanding has depth of living Waters and their Vein is flowing over with it To be without the knowledge of the Soul or for the Soul to be without Knowledge not good this How can such an one govern his Actions and order his Affairs with judgment and discretion That is Wisdom which will be found and acknowledged to be Wisdom at the last in thy last or utmost end Cease we therefore from erring and straying out of the way of those written words of Wisdom O prize we this for the lips of Wisdom are Gold and a multitude of Gems and a precious Vessel Vain affectation of Humane Wisdom is drossy strawy broken and earthy He that wanders out of the Way of Understanding from this prescript word of the LORD will in the end remain in the Cougregation of the incurably-dead To keep the words of the Wise in the belly is sweetly delectable they will be aptly put together in the lips Study Wisdom that thou maist trust in Aelohim he makes known Wisdom to thee to this for this end They are his written Words that do teach it In the Scripture are those excellent Counsels that do tend to true and to sound Knowledge The Counsels and Knowledges that are found here are the Justness or Rectitude of Truth or certainty of the words of Truth every way true It is the truth that is here learnt To make to return words of truth to those who send thee words truth when others do send their Questions and propound their Cases to thee for resolution and satisfaction We should make our heart and our ears to enter into Discipline into the Words of Knowledge The seat of Wisdom is in the heart when that doth rejoyce to see and to hear others to be wise the whole man rejoyceth The reins of a Teacher do rejoyce when the lips of a Scholar do speak Rightnesses When the prescript word and not our own or others carnal corrupt reason is followed we shall make a blessed progress in holy Sciences Here is truth which we should acquire into our possession the right knowledge of Naturals and Spirituals not parting with it upon any terms That is Wisdom Instruction and Understanding which is Scripture-Truth He who is thus wise is manly in strength A man of Knowledge has fortifying Prowess It doth increase his inner and outer vigor These Word-wisdoms are unreached heights 100 sublime for and to an evil-fool lofty excellencies which he cannot come at whilst such But to know these is to the inlightned Soul as honey or the distillings of the honey-Comb sweet and nourishing what natural causality honey may have this way for the sharpning quickning clearing of Ingeny let others inquire If thou have found it it shall be a last reward It would be the Glory of Kings to search out a Word in all their warlick and civil as well as Religious transactions to inquire after those treasured senses of Scripture which would direct them in this It would teach all to word their words over its circumstance or Modes aptly opportunely as if it moved aright upon Wheels No answers but are Scriptural concordant thereunto are sapid Counsel or savoury Advice judicious Reason returned to inquirers Those who in this way do seek Jehovah shall understand all whatsoever it be that doth belong to their Office and Duty A Prince a Leader in State or Church or Field of all men should not want understanding in Scripture Sciences in word acts He should be well skilled in all sorts of useful Learning otherwise their imprudent misgovernment will put them upon oppressing and misguiding their people O love we this Wisdom and this way of VVisdom The Primitive Understanding of Adam which he had concreated with him is not now to us we are corruptly bruitish as to the answering of difficult Questions it is only to be had from Christ in the Word who is able and willing He the God-man For the knowledge of holy Ones Angelical heavenly Ones is not so with us now not so born and bred with us of our own but is a gift from him who is all VVisdom Reades let thine eyes therefore be now up to him that thou mayst be one of the God-taught Ones that thy knowledge may even whilst thou art here on Earth more grow up to answer the knowledge of those