the glory of God in this his mercy and the deeper is his humility and lowlines of minde Minde but the writings of the Holy Apostles of Christ Jesus and you will finde it so that still they are harping upon this string sounding forth the mercies of the Lord in Christ Jesus and his love in revealing his Son to them Yea observe but that high state of the Elders spoken of in the Book of the Revelations who were set upon seats round about the Throne and cloathed in white Raiment and Crowned The substance of their song was this Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the Seals thereof Now mark why For thou was slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy Blood out of every kinred and Tongue and People and Nation Mark Not a word of their own righteousness not a word of their works how good soever they were which doubtles were excellent but yet not a word thereof the riches of the mercy of God in Christ Jesus puts all that out of sight and layes them low at his Footstool for they are said to fall down before the Lamb and sing this Song Now what are these Elders but representatives of all the Elect seed of God from all parts of the Earth Seeing it is contained in their Song that they were redeemed by his Blood out of every kinred and Tongue and People and Nation Now there be many more kinreds and Tongues and Nations then four and twenty but all represented by these four and twenty Well then you see their faith in Christ is not like the Faith of the Pharisees in which they stand justifying themselves in their own works and exalting themselves thereby over poor Publicans But all their admiration and glorying is in the mercy of God And so we finde the Apostles sounding forth the same things in their Epistles Eph. 2.4 5 6 7 8 9. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus For by grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of works lest any man should boast Thus all boasting is excluded by true Faith And as I have shewed before the right Faith works by love and that love is not of an exalting nature But as the Apostle saith it vaunteth not it self is not puffed up 1 Cor. 13.4 Thus the true and right Faith shuts out boasting and cuts down vainglory and makes humble Therefore saith our Lord Jesus Christ Verely I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little Children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little Childe the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 18.3 4. Fifthly To proceed this true Faith is accompanyed with an Vnction or an Anointing from the holy one John writing to those he calls little Children whose sins are forgiven for his names sake saith thus But ye have an Vnction from the holy one and ye know all things 1 Joh. 2.20 All things that is that appertained to life and godliness Why For this Unction or Anointing taught them all things that appertained thereto that so walking according to the teaching thereof they might abide in Christ Now this Unction is the Spirit which gives a sense and feeling of the will of God what he would have us to doe and what he would have us to forbear And we need not that any maâ— should teach us beyond the teachingâ— of that to amuse us with high notions and mysteries which the Unction gives us no openings of Anâ— so keeping to that keept us wiâ— to sobriety minding to doe thâ— will of God which the Unction inclines our Hearts to rather theâ— to fill the brain with knowledge 〈◊〉 things which add not to our comfort and profiting and grouth iâ— Christ Now that this Unction 〈◊〉 the Spirit appears by compearinâ— this Scripture with another Thaâ— is compare this 1 Joh. 2.20 2â— with Ioh. 14.16 17. Where it 〈◊〉 expressed by the name of the Spirit I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you This is that abideing Unction which abides with the Faithfull for ever The Unction is a constant abiding thing and so is the Spirit abiding for ever Thus the Lord fulfills his promise of old Isa 44.3 and chap. 59.21 I will pour Water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground Thirsty and dry these are such as hunger and thirst and fit to receive the Heavenly rain but he expresses â—t more plainly in the following words thus I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon â—hine Off-spring Then in ch 59.21 â—he promises the constancy of this Spirit with the seed of Christ in â—hese words As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord. My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy Mouth shall not depart out of thy Mouth nor out of the Mouth of thy Seed nor out of the Mouth of thy Seeds Seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever So that this is a promise to all the Seed and that for ever which promise is fulfilled to all faithfull believers in Christ Jesus Therefore saith the Apostle if any maâ— have not the Spirit of Christ he iâ— none of his Rom. 8.9 And herein thâ— Son-ship is established even in thiâ— Spirit or abiding Unction oâ— Anointing As the Apostle witnesseth ver 14. For as many as are leâ— by the Spirit of God they are the Sonâ— of God Thus the Anointing witâ— the Spirit typifyed by the precious Ointment that was poureâ— upon Aarons head and ran dowâ— to the Skirts of his Garment thiâ— Anointing with the Spirit runâ— down from our High-Priest to thâ— lowest of his Servants He waâ— anointed with the Oyl of gladness above his fellows but we all of his fullness receive every one a measure of his Spirit and so are hereby stated by this Spirit of Adoption into Sonship and Heir-ship with him If Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joynt-heirs with Christ c. Rom. 8.17 And this state or Spiritual condition carryes its own evidence in it self for the Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God ver 16. And as this Spirit or Unction is a guide to the Children of light leading them into all Truth and as it is a witness to
the Children of God witnessing with their Spirits and administring comfort and Heavenly food to the Soul So also he administers words and matter to Christs little ones when they are called before Rulers and Magistrates for his names sake And Christ Jesus our Lord taught his to depend hereupon and not to perplex themselves with thinking before hand what to say to them Matt. 10.19 20. But when they deliver you up take no thought how or what ye shall speak for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak For it is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you Hence it is that sometimes Women and unletter'd Persons have been enabled to confound great learned men for the Lord by his Spirit gives a mouth and wisdome which their Adversaries ar◠not able to gainsay nor to resist This is that Spirit which begetteth earnings and longings in our Hearts after the Lord and which helpeth our infirmities when we know not how to utter our minds to the Lord for then he maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered and these groanings being according to the will of God he hears them for he knoweth what is the minde of the Spirit Rom. 8.26 27. There be many Spirits gone forth into the World which are not this Unction but work contrary to it and lead out from Christ into the World therefore the Apostle bids us try the Spirits whether they are of God 1 Joh. 4.2 Well but how shall we try them He tells us how to know them in the next verses following Hereby know ye the Spirit of God Every Spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ come in the Flesh is of God And every Spirit that confesseth not Jesus Christ come in the Flesh is not of God For so the words run more truely according to the Greek then to render them thus Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh c. For this confession is such a confession as owns an interest in him or professes a relation to him by Faith in him and by love and obedience to him The evil Spirits did verbally confesse him Mar. 1.24 and so evil men may verbally confesse him tho they neither truely believe in him nor love nor obey him But this true confession of him hath these things necessarily conjoyned therewith 1. Faith Iohn 3.18 36. For that Spirit that wants that is under condemnation and wrath as this Scripture testifyes 2. Love 1 Cor. 16.24 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha 3. Obedience to him And therefore saith John he that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar and the Truth is not in him So then every Spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ that suffered for our sins i◠Faith and in Love and Obedience to him that Spirit is of God But otherwise evil Spirits may confesse him and Children of the evil one may confesse him Also the Apostle draweth this down to himself and others who were in the pure and living faith and innocent life in whom Christ appeared ver 6. o◠the same Chapter We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us 〈◊〉 that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of error So here you see he places the mark to know Spirits by upon their owning or not owning of Christ himself come in Flesh and of him appearing in others For they that know him not in his Children where he appears but deny his appearance there they are not of his Spirit themselves But then how shall we know his Children from the Children of the Devil The Apostle tells us this is manifest by their works 1 Joh. 3.10 He doth not say its manifest by any particular forme but by their works In this the Children of God are manifest and the Children of the Devil Whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother So then let men pretend what they will if their works be evil they are not of God So that by their works false Spirits and false Prophets are known and by them they shall be judged at the last day Though they shall say we have Prophecyed in thy name yet it shall be said to them Depart from me I know you not ye workers of Iniquity Now these must needs own his comming that Prophecy in his name And that they may doe and yet not own hi◠where he is come and appears i◠Flesh And so they may confesse hi◠comming and yet not confesse himself where he is come As the Iew owned Moses and the Prophets wh◠were come and gone but yet persecuted them that came in their Spirit they owned and confessed Abraham but owned not nor confessed the true seed of Abraham and so were not of Abraham thoug◠they confessed him In like manne◠many now confesse that Christ cam◠in the Flesh but persecute the◠that come in his Spirit that is persecute him in them for so he wil◠charge it upon them Because what done to his little ones is done upo◠this account that he is in them who hath no fellowship with th◠unfruitfull works of darkness in which they are who persecute them For if he were not in them who hath not fellowship with unfruitfull works of darkness they would not hate them but would love them The World loves its own and those of its own Spirit If you were of the World the World would love his own but because ye are not of the World but I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hateth you Joh. 15.19 A little further still for the manifestation of this true Unction or Anointing to distinguish it from other Spirits not only from evil Spirits but even from some operations of the true Spirit Consider that this Holy Unction is an abiding thing keeping the Heart in the fear and love of God making that the maine care of him in whom it is to keep in obedience to the will of God and so in fellowship with God for that 's the Kingdom into which we are translated and whatsoever interposeth between us and that fellowship with God who i◠love that wounds and slayes And we are then like one banished hi◠native Kingdom and like an Exile until we be established in it again and then there 's rest and care and fear lest we grief the Spirit again And thus the promise to the true seed is fulfilled which saith I wil◠put my fear in their Hearts and they shall not depart from me Jer. 32.40 Now other Spirits which give no◠this fellowship in the love of God may doe great things whereby the person may be admired but they doe not keep the heart low watching to doe the will of God Balaam had an eminent Prophecy given him by the Spirit of the Lord which also strove with him to keep
Therefore I say though the Kingdom of God be a gloryous Kingdom yet hath he many Subjects belonging to it some in it and some pressing hard after it some going mourning and full of heavyness not accounting themselves worthy of it but yet longing after it and the glory of his Kingdom being inward the purblinde Worldly Eye see it not For who of them would think that 〈◊〉 poor shatter'd creature full of heavyness and of a drooping Spirit and it may be sorely exercised with outward afflictions and wants and hath no pleasant carriage iâ— their Eye that such a one belongs to the Kingdom of God And yet our Lord pronounces such poor ones in Spirit to be blessed and saith their's is the Kingdom oâ— God Obj. But it may be some will still object that though these things be true yet we doe not see Christians arise to that Vigor of Christianity and joy and pace as they did in the primitive times nor so quickly receive peace and comfort as they did then What 's the reason of that if the same Heavenly state be attanable now as was then attained unto by believers Answ For Answer hereunto consider that there was a mystery of iniquity to arise under the formal part of Christianity and that this mystery was to overspread Nations Tongues Multitudes Peoples and sit upon these Waters for so they are called And that under this mystery a bottomless Pit was to be opened out of which a smoke arose and darkened the Sun in the Firmament Now this mystery is the height of wickedness under the profession of Christianity To act the Devils part in the name of Christ and that makes it a mystery To teach traditions of men and their inventions for precepts of Christ which was alwayes call'd whoredom among the Jews and is so among Christians To teach lyes in Hypocrisie to teach Murther as a precept of Christ as all Persecutors who professe Religion must doe this is to hold out the Devils work in the name of Christ Now such Apostacy as this and teaching â—uch things they darken the Sunshine of â—he gloryous Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ And God will not give his glory to another then Christ nor his praise to graven Images nor mens curious imaginations or traditions And therefore the gloryous beams of the Gospel being obscured by such things the Heavenly warmth and refreshing thereof hath not so speedily nor fully darted into mens Spirits to raise them up so powerfully it may be and so quickly into the enjoyment of that peace and joy that passes understanding But yet God hath not left himself without witnesses to bear Testimony to the Truth of the joyfull tydings of Salvation by Faith in Christ and he will raise up still mâ—re as the mystery of iniquity consumes What think ye of those that love not their lives unto death warring against the mystery of iniquity Who expose their lives and all they have to the fury and rage of men rather then ensnare their consciences with the vain traditions of men Thus Michael and his Angels feight by suffering And the Dragon and his Angels by inflicting Therefore seeing the mystery of iniquity is to be overcome by such warrs as these Christ Jesus our Lord and Captain wants not his valiant Souldiers to encounter with the Dragon and his Champions even under the Apostacy into the mystery The Dragon feights but prevails not against the Lords hoast Now do not think that its a small matter that makes men so resolute and venterous thus to expose their lives No it s for no lesse then a Kingdom either already in possession of or in view to be attained But these things being Spiritual are not discerned by the carnal Eye And so the Subjects of Christs Kingdom whether they be in real possession of it or in earnest pursuite of it are little seen by the World although many belong thereunto Obj. But one Objection more may seem very material and weighty to many namely thus In this Treatise of Essential Christianity why is there no mention made of Baptism and the Lords Supper and of Preaching the Word and Prayers Are not these Essential things in Christianity And why are these left out Answ I answer I do not leave them out in opposition to them but because first they are not so inseparable to the Kingdom of Christ as that there is no enjoyment thereof without these especially as they are under the Apostacy administred Secondly because these may all be professed and taken up by persons who are workers of iniquity and not owned by our Lord Jesus Christ even by men who live in open wickedness and therefore are not admitted into his Kingdom because they are Baptised or receive the Supper or frequent publique Prayers or are Preachers of the Scriptures Paul speaks the same thing to a Baptized Church who also had the Supper of the Lord in practice among them and who came behind in no gift Yet notwithstanding all these things he sets this caution before their Eyes to ponder on Know ye not saith he that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankinde nor Thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of Goâ— 1 Cor. 6.9 10. This he speaks to such 〈◊〉 did wrong and defrauded their Brethren Laying before them the danger of suâ—â— courses if they should fall back again to suâ—â— things and return with the Dog to tâ—â— vomit and like the Sow to her wallowinâ— in the mire Hence it is that we are admonished to turn away from such as have 〈◊〉 form of Godliness as men that professe theâ— things namely Baptism the Lords Suppeâ— publique Prayers and Preaching may have but deny the power thereof Simon Magâ— was Baptized and yet was in the Gall 〈◊〉 bitterness and bond of iniquity Act. 8 â— one may eat and drink the Lords Suppeâ— without profit to themselves yea they mâ— eat and drink judgment to themselves and 〈◊〉 guilty of the body and blood of the Lorâ— 1 Cor. 11. And for Prayers men maâ— make many Prayers and long Prayers and yet be no better then the Phariseeâ— or the Jews of old who honoured the Lorâ— with their lips while as their Heart waâ— far from him And Christ himself hath foretold that many shall plead for themselveâ— thus Lord Lord have we not Prophecyâ— in thy name c. Yet he will answer them I never know youâ— depart from me 〈◊〉 that work iniquity Now here 's a form of Godliness lyes in these things namely in being Baptized and frequenting Prayers and Preaching and the Lords Supper but seeing one may live in these and yet be far from the Kingdom of God therefore I have not placed these things among those that are essential to that life that enters the Kingdom although these things rightly used and at the Lambs requirings
that were with him when the Hoâ—â— Ghost fell on all them that heard â—â—e word ver 44. Now where â—hrist and his Spirit is received it â—â—rnes the Heart from sin and turns 〈◊〉 to righteousness And this turâ—ing of the minde and Heart from â—n to righteousness is repentance 〈◊〉 is not a little remorse or sorrow â—or sins past only and yet contiâ—uing therein but turning from â—t toward righteousness that 's reâ—entance So all these things acâ—ompany the ministery of the Gosâ—el or the true preaching of Christ â—nd receiving of him it opens the â—yes to see the love of God and â—is mercyfull kindness in Christ Jeâ—us and this turns them from darkâ—ess to light and so from the power of Satan unto God this is true repenâ—ance that so they may receive remission of sins and inheritance among â—hem which are sanctifyed by faith in Christ Jesus Act. 26.18 The Spirit of Christ entring into the Heart by faith or in believing turns it or converts it from sin to God by renewing of it and so washes 〈◊〉 from its filthines by the blood 〈◊〉 Christ and Sanctifyes it Therefore said Christ except I wash theâ— thou hast no part in mee Here 's thâ— washing and sprinkling by thâ— blood here 's the being born agaiâ— of Water and of the Spirit withoâ—â— which one cannot enter into thâ— Kingdome of God here 's the worâ— of regeneration without whicâ— one cannot see the Kingdom 〈◊〉 God Joh. 3. So now all things aâ—â— become new and the Stream turneâ— The Stream of that mans Heart 〈◊〉 which was downward towards thâ— Earth and towards evil is noâ— turned upwards towards God anâ— towards things that are good Longing after a participation of Goâ— Heavenly nature and Holyness which it hath received a taste 〈◊〉 and as a new born Babe he now desires and longs after the sinceâ— Milk of the word that he maâ— grow thereby and feel more anâ— more fellowship with the Heavenâ—â— nature Flourishes of wit and eloquence which please the itching Ear will not satisfy this hungring Babe but the sincere uncorrupted Milk of the word which adds strength and growth Thus I say God lets in something of himself and Heavenly nature by faith into the Hearts of the Sons of men that they tasting of that Heavenly nature may presse after a further enjoyment thereof and to be more and more filled therewith And thus faith is an inward work wrought by the power of God opening the Heart to receive the love of God whereby a new work is wrought in the Heart renewing it or regenerating it again to God and forming a new Creation in the Heart which makes a man a new Creature And there is a going on in this work from faith to faith and so a following on in the regeneration And this is the great available thing with the Lord as the Apostle testifyed saying neither circumcision availeth any thing witâ— the Lord nor uncircumcision but 〈◊〉 new creature or new creation Galâ— 6.15 which he otherwise expresses thus chap. 5.6 Neither circumcision availeth any thing with thâ— Lord nor uncircumcision but faitâ— which worketh by love No outwarâ— thing no outward profession iâ— the available thing but faith whicâ— worketh by love and which renewes the creature or makes 〈◊〉 man a new creature This is thaâ— which the Lord accepts because now a man begins to live to God and to be a Vessel sanctifyed for thâ— Masters use This work raises him up and sets him upon his feet aâ— a man raised up from the dead and now it is the delight of thiâ— new man to doe the will of God and to be found in his work Anâ— now he begins to warr and sighâ— the good fight of faith striving against sin that he may keep hiâ— conscience pure and clear beforâ— the Lord. For the mystery of faitâ— is thereby preserved The mystery of faith is held in a pure conscience 1 Tim. 3.9 Faithfulness to God preserves and nourishes faith That is Faithfulness to what the conscience knows to be the will of God this preserves peace and faith in God But in case of being overcome by the Enemy the Lord calls for repentance that is turning from the evil with all our Hearts and turning again to him and looking to his mercy and forgiveness with a stedfast purpose to cleave to him in fear and trembling considering our own weakness and so waiting upon him for help to overcome and in his due time he purges the conscience again from the evil and purifies it by the blood of sprinkling even by the blood of Christ and thus our Lord Jesus Christ washes us in his own blood by the Spirit renewing his love in the Heart and remitting the transgression And so faith is restored in a true Heart though it hath been overtaked by the subtilty of the Enemy For indeed the failings of the true Seed or truely converted are not from a life had in the evil buâ— rather from being surprised and overtaken therefore it causes grieâ— and anguish and a crying unto the Lord for deliverance Whereas he that hath a life in the Evil he rests in it While the strong man keeps the House all things are at quiet But when a stronger then he is come he disturbes that quietness in the evil ther 's no rest there For what fellowship can the true seed have with falsehood What Communion can Christ the true Spirit have with the works of the evil Spirit in us Therefore he casts out the deceiver and his works Therefore that Faith that is under the blessing must needs warr against the deceiver to cast him out otherwise it is not right For Faith in Truth begets an honest and true Heart which works against deceit and the deceiver True Faith first begets an honest and true Heart and then is therein retained as in a fit Vessel And the departing from Truth and honesty and uprightness makes Shipwrack of Faith To open this mystery of Faith more plainly whereby the Truth thereof may be known and it may be discerned in some measure from all false appearances thereof I shall come to some particulars that we may know it by the Fruits of it as Christ our Lord hath taught us to know Prophets of what sort they are Yee shall know them by their Fruits First This Faith purifyes the Heart Act. 15.9 That so that which flowes out of the Heart may be pure Out of the Heart unsanctifyed proceeds evil thoughts Murthers Adulteries Thefts Blasphemies or speaking evil of Holyness and of Holy men as well as of God envy malice revenge pride scornfulness ambition coveteousness and such like which keep a man from entring into the Kingdom of God For such shall not inherit the Kingdom of God It s the Apostles Testimony 1 Cor. 6.9 Eph. 5.5 6. Therefore faith is like a Refiners fire to these things to consume and burn them up and to purifie the Heart from such filth Purifying their Hearts by faith saith
may be refreshing helps to those who in sincerity of Heart and simplicity of conscience do walk therein There is a Baptism indeed and a Supper which are essential to the Kingdom of Christ but those are couched under other things before spoken yet for more plainess I shall here expresse them more particularly Peter tells us of a Baptism that saves us and that must needs be essential 1 Pet. 3.21 The like Figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the Flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This indeed is essential namely the answer of a good conscience towards God which is a Baptism indeed and which is a Fruit of righteousness For they that by an ungodly and wicked life make Shipwrack of Faith they thereby beget in themselves an evil and accusing conscience although they be outwardly Baptized and so it s not that that saves but the answer of a good conscience by the resurrection of Jesus Christ So there is a Supper also which is essential to the Kingdom of Christ which our Lord himself speaks of Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand aâ— the Door and knock if any man hear my voyce and open the Door I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me This is a Supper that is essential Here 's joy and consolation in this Supper and sweet communion with the Lord. This was writ to a Church who were Baptized with outward Baptism and had the outward Supper and other Ordinances as we may well presume they had as well as other Churches and especially because they thought themselves rich in such things and increased with goods having need of nothing which blinded their Eyes so that they knew not that they were wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked And so the rest of the Churches of Asia they were all in Church fellowship enjoying the outward Ordinances but that was not enough For they were gathered in thither as into a nursery or Garden to the end they should grow up in grace and bring forth good Fruit unto God So there is a prayer that is essential and hath communion with God viz. When in the Spirit we worship God and when the Spirit maketh intercession in us according to the will of God There is also Preaching or a holding forth of Truth which is essential when the Lord requires it whether it be by a righteous life or by bearing Testimony to the Truth But these things I leave out which the Worldly Spirit may cloath it self with all and under that Cloak live wickedly yea and hate the life and power of Christianity as may be done under a verbal profession of the new Covenant as well as under the Old when the false Prophets and such as adhered to them persecuted the true Prophets And yet though they were Persecutors of the true they brought Oblatious to God and burnt incense to him and kept solemn meetings and fasts and came as a People that delighted to draw near unto the Lord and made many Prayers to him and their Hearts in all this far from him and so may it be now and therefore such things I omit and point at such things as wherein a Soul drawes near to God and is approved of God and in which he comes to some enjoyment of Spiritual blessings and by degrees comes into possession of the Kingdom of God in Christ Jesus The things wherein a man walks with God and follows the Lamb whether into external observances or out of them those I would here comprehend For there may be a following of him out of some things that the evil Spirit may take up as well as into them The Scripture leaves us not without examples and ground hereof The Brâ—â—en Serpent set up by Gods own institution and which was an eminent Type of Christ yet after the use of it was over and the People maâ—e an Idol of it and so went a whoring after the shaddow and forgot the substance and their Hearts were removed far from the Lord that good King Hezechiah who walk't before the Lord with a perfect Heart he caused it to be broken to pieces and put an end to it 2 King 18.4 The Lord did also command circumcision very stricktly so that the Seed of Abraham must needs be circumcised and this called an Ordinance for ever Yet when the fulness of time was come that the substance of all the shaddowes took place in their stead then sayes one Apostle behold I say unto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profite you nothing Gal. 5.2 This was a hard lesson to some and especially to such who were zealous of Gods ordinances yea even to many who believed in Christ Now the Scripture tells us of a falling away from God unto all wickedness and of retaining a form of Godliness still to cover all that and of a mystery of iniquity to be revealed and yet he that shall heed that mystery shall have his seat in the Temple of God that is were Gods Ordinances have their place by right but iniquity working under this profession of these things makes that a mystery which otherwise is open-fast wickedness only it hides it self under a profession and destructive zeal against neglecters of its form Now in this case I say there may be a following of the Lamb even out of those observances of his which once were commanded But I do not urge this except he lead And if he lead and go before them then shall his followers have peace and a secret witness in themselves although they meet with opposition from others Which they are likely to doe in following the Lamb for its him that the evil Spirit persecutes by his Servants in whom he rules And this is a great Testimony that its one great ordinance of Christ for his People to come out of false and corrupted worships after the mystery of iniquity hath abused them because the persecution lyes most thereupon if not altogether The Papists they persecute because People relinquish their form the Episcopal the Presbyterian c. they all do the like Though a man be just and upright in his conversation yet if he draw from their form they hate they revile they persecute at least with the Tongue And why is this But because they follow the Lamb who saith in their Spirits Come out of her my People I'ts he that goes before his true followers and leads them out gently and therefore saith come out And this comming out I say is a great ordinance of Christ in the discovery and dissolution of all corrupted worships And the followers of Christ herein are dignifyed with this Honour that it s said of them these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes But note they are such as truely follow the Lamb in whose mouth is found no guile If they shall turn from corrupted worships and