deceived with the false miracles of Mahâ—â—â—â— wherein he hath deluded them to this present day through the devill and his instruments together with their false miracles wherein they are kept in blindnesse as also the Pope with the Latin Church deceiving the world and themselves with their false miracles which they much boast of whereby they judge their way to be right because the Devill and the Pope work miracles to confirme their way which indeed the Scriptures did foretel that the Latin Beast would deceive the world with his false miracles Revel 13. 13 14. But these spirits are the spirits of devils deceiving the Kings of the earth and the whole world Revel 16. 14. But the Lord will take that beastly worship of the Beast together with the Beast and the false Prophet with his lying spirit that wrought miracles to deceive the people and will cast them into the lake of his wraâ—h forever and ever Revel 19. â— Now there is some objections to be answered as Joel 2. where the Lord doth foretell that young men shall see visions and old men shall dream dreams and that that prophesie is in part to be fulfilled To the which I do reply with the words of Peter who had a more spirituall discerning then any in these dayes to discerne the truth of prophesies that that prophesie was fulfilled upon them when the visions of the Lord did appear unto them in Acts 2 1 2 3. who were the Lords young men who were to declare the minde of God to the whole earth and that being such a publick prophesie it was publickly fulfilled to perfect a publick work to the admiration of the beholders who were very desirous to know what was the meaning of those strange works and the Apostle flies to the prophesie of Joel for their refuge and tels them it was no more then what was prophesied of them and that they might now see that prophesie fulfilled Acts 2. 16. 17 18. and that those were the dayes that were spoken of before being glorious Gospel-times in which the Lord was to accomplish his promise that there might be nothing wanting to ratifie confirm the truth of the Gospell so that this prophesie being extraordinary 〈◊〉 doth appeare by the Apostlâ—â— words if any do pretend in these dayes the like revelations they must also shew the like effects which I think they cannot 10. I shall speake a word or two of Gospell-visions whereby it will appear that that there are no such visions in these dayes and first those visions did appeare in aâ—visible manner to the sight of the beholders Luke 3. and Acts 2. and then secondly they were able to confirme what was revealed in the vision to them by a visible signe or wonder and thirdly they were able to speak in an extraordinary manner to convince the gain-sayers and fourthly those visions were for the truth and not against it so that from hence I conclude that the cause is taken away because the effect ceaseth for if they prove the like visions they must also prove the like visible manifestations or else they are false visions And as for the dreamers there spoken of you may see that was fully fulfilled in those dayes in the Scribes and Pharisees those old and ancient Doctours of those times who stood dreaming as men amazed when they beheld the Lord Christ and his Apostles the mirrour of the world to preach such glorious doctrine accompanied with such glorious miracles and their doctrine being so strange and rare and so unanswerable preaching with such authority and so mightily convincing the gain-sayers the Doctors also themselves being so wonderfully confuted that we may truly say That they were in a dream or trance whereby the prophesie was truly fulfilled 2. Object is in Marke 16. These signes shall follow those that do believe So that hence they do inferre That there is no true Gospel-Preachers but such as work miracles which if this be true then there is no faith in England because no true Ministry for faith comes by hearing Rom. 10. 17. even by hearing the word preached and how shall he preach except he be sent so that if there be no Preachers there is no faith then there is no salvatioÌ„ for if the Ministry of faith cease then faith must cease which if so then to what purpose do your Ministers teach seeing they work no miracles so that by this Tenent both you and your Ministers are in a false way And further if our salvation depend upon miracles would God have been wanting think you ever since the Apostles time to have sent them into the world to have perfected their salvation to the full for certainly if we could not have been saved without them God would never have been wanting to have sent them But God had so fully before confirmed the Gospel with such Ministers and Miracles which is sufficient to confirm the truth in all Ages 3. Objection But we have been in a great confusion for many hundred of years together ard in a great confusion amongst us to know the truth and how shall we know without a miracle to confirm it to us To the which I reply and how shall we know the truth by a Miracle seeing a pretender may do the like and so you may take a false Miracle for a true or how will you prove that your Miracle to be true if not by the word or else it may be false for ought you know must not the word try your miracle whether it be true or false and therefore to the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to that they are in a false way Isaiah 8. for the word of the Lord is powerfull and sharper then a two-edged Sword Heb. 4. 12. to pierce through all the false wayes of men and to cut in peeces all false worships whatsoever and it is a searcher of the heart and a tryer of the raines to search into all the hearts of men and their actions to judge them according to their works 2. Who must end all contentions must not the word which is able to satisfie all doubts and to direct us in all our wayes and what need we fear having so glorious a Guide as the Gospel is can you find a better Rule to walk by or a better Guide to lead you which is the Resolver of all doubts for if the word cannot satisfie you who can And now I shall speak a word or two for the word of my God for where will you find a Christ but in the word and where will you find the promises of Christ but in the Word doth not the Word hold forth Christ to you and holds forth the promise to you doth not the word shew you the way of life if you would know what Doctrine is right doth not the word shew you what Doctrine and what worship you ought to observe doth not the word hold forth unto you holiness and unholiness life and
mouth speaketh for thou shewest by thy words what is within for as thy heart is so are thy words but it is a signe there is no worship in thy heart because there is none in thy words or else thou dost dissemble with thy selfe Why ought we not as well to serve God in our Bodies as in our Soules Will the worship of God hinder us and why cannot we know as much in a visible way as thou dost out Dost thou thinke that the Worship of the Gospell and the Lawes and Ordinances thereof doth hinder us from knowing the minde of God sure this is but the doctrine of the Serpent for our obedience to the Commands of Jesus Christ doth not hinder us but further us to know his minde For the humble he will teach and he rejecteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Our living in the Commands of Christ will not hinder us but helpe us to know the minde of God for the Promise is to such as walke in his way and that he that doth his Will shall know his minde and therefore it doth appeare that the Commands of Christ doth not hinder us from knowing the Mysteries of God thou wouldest take us off of our obedience from serving of God to serve the Devill for the Devill hath deceived thee and thou wouldest deceive as thou wouldest bring us out of order into confusion to walke in confusion like thy selfe thou art of no Religion and yet thou canst be of any and thy Religion changes as oft as thy thoughts thou art restlesse in thy thoughts and restlesse in thy life and also as restlesse in thy comforts for thou art in Babilon and the height of confusion for thou livest a confused life thou lyest in confusion and there thou livest how long wilt thou walke in confusion wilt thou not returne into order lest thou dye in confusion and fall into the wrath and anger of Jehovah FINIS A Postscript to a Party called Seekers or those that call themselves Mad-men which deny the Bible to be Scripture or the Word of GOD. THE Devill hath alwayes in all Ages sought to blinde the eyes of the people for he can fit himselfe for all Ages and he is more subtill in this Age then in other Ages and the reason I conceive is this because people are come to see further then they have done in former times into the word of God and his worship and therefore it is the subtilty of Sathan in these dayes to seeke to take us off all worship and to deny the Bible to be the word of God and so teaches men to deny that there is any rule to walke by but that every man may walke according to the dictates of his owne heart and as it seemeth good in his owne eyes and this is a pleasing bait to take the world with and here the old Serpent doth prevaile and snares the sonnes of men for this is the day he lookes for if he can take men off the word that thereby they may deny all Scriptures and all Visible Worship then they will be his owne children of the tribe of disobedience begotten by the seed of the Serpent and travelling towards the land of confusion that they may arrive at the anger of God and because the word is made so contemptible in these dayes I shall endeavour for the strengthning of some and the confirming of others to give you some reasons wherefore the things contained in the Bible are the word of God And first by the workes of Creation it doth appear that this is a truth for if the Lord hath taken so much care of the workes of Creation to preserve them doe you think that his care will bee lesse to preserve his Word Doth not hee magnifie his Name and his word above all things Psal 138. 2. And hath he not more care of his word with the letters and sillables thereof then of the Starres of heaven for if his care bee so great to preserve the workes of Creation how much more shall his care be to preserve his Word whereby his Name and Power might be known to all Nations 2 If the Letter and Word of the Old Testament were not true then what priviledge had the Jews which the Apostle speaks of in Rom. 3. 1. 2. That unto them were committed the Oracles of God now what praise is to the Jewes if their Oracles were not true then they had little priviledge above the Gentiles which is so much spoken of for if the Letter and Word be corrupted then what was their priviledge above other Nations 3 These sixteene hundred yeares and more since the Jewes have beene cast off from being the Church of God and have been scattered for their sinnes upon the face of the whole earth and have been the greatest enemies to the Gospell of any people and yet for all this it cannot be proved that they have corrupted the Scripture but that the Hebrew Text remaineth as it was in the Apostles dayes and shall wee thinke that they were lesse carefull in former times when they were the Church of God for they have been these many yeares so carefull that if any fault escaped the Scribe that Book was not allowed to bee read in their Synagogue untill it were corrected for they have these rules that if the Booke of the Law want but a letter or if the forme of any letter be not perfect it was for children and not for Church Maim in Sepher Torah C. 10. 4 What is 70 yeares to corrupt all Copies when as a Copy written on Parchment as their manner was will indure many 70 years intire Jeremiah with some Jews remained a while in the Land and Ezekiel Daniel with many godly men that were in Babylon with Ezra that learned Priest and Scribe came with the people out of Babylon and they had also other Prophets amongst them as Haggai Zachariah and Malachi and how doe you thinke that the Word should be corrupted having such a glorious company both of Prophets Scribes and wise men whereby it doth appeare that the Scripture is not corrupted but doth remaine the Word of God 5 Doth not Christ reprove the Priests and Scribes with the Pharisees for corrupting the Law by wrong interpretation as you may see Matth. 5. 15. and 23 Now it doth appeare if they had violated and falsified the Scriptures that Christ would have reproved them for it would not Christ have told them saying you have falsified the Scripture but he doth not and therefore it doth appeare that the Scriptures are true 6 If the Scriptures of the Old Testament had been false would Christ have exhorted them to have read the Scriptures Luke 16 Iohn 5. 2 Pet. 1 If they had beene wrong would not Christ and his Apostles have left a perfect Canon of the word to the Church and to all the world but we see that Christ doth confirme the Law in every point Mat. 5. 18. And therefore it doth appeare that
A second Champion OR Companion to Truth Wherein is shewed these Particulars or Tenets 1 Of Miracles 2 The reasons wherefore so few imbrace the Gospell 3 Of the first Covenant and the second Covenant 4 Of the Father and the Son 5 Of Heaven 6 Of Hell 7 Of Glory 8 Of Faith 9 Of the Resurrection and the eternall judgement 10 Of Visible Worship 11 A Postscript By Richard Stookes Preacher of the Gospell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 London Printed for George Whittington at the Blew Anchor in Cornhill 1650. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Courteous Reader TIme is the most precious berbe in the Garden of the World there is nothing more precious and there is nothing more sleighted of vaine man the use of time will save and the abuse of time will judge thee for upon this moment of Time depends thy eternall welfare for we must bee called to an account how we have spent this Time which is allotted to us and then one houres time that is spent for heaven will more comfort us at the day of our death then all the rest of our time which hath been spent for vanity 〈◊〉 wilâ—â—nde at the day of thy death how precious Time â—â— for 〈◊〉 no sooner commest into this world but 〈◊〉 going but againe and so soon as thou livest 〈◊〉 dying and so soon as thou breathest thy breath is a departing thou passest away as a shadow and thy dayes are biâ— as a span long they are but as the rising of a bubble thou no sooner hast a beginning but thou art going to thy end and thy strength is but as the grasse and thy beauty is but as the flower of the field The grasse fadeth and the flower withereth then thy glory is gone for thy living is uncertaine but thy death is certaine for thou art more sure to dye then to live for what is so certaine as death and what is so uncertaine as life for death will bring thee to the grave and thy deeds will bring thee to judgement and as death doth leave thee so shall judgement finde thee and all creatures observe their time but man and yet man is the most noble of creatures for thou hast time and all things attend thee to bring thee to glory if thou dost not bring thy self to misery but if thou dost thou art a mispender of time for there are three enemies that are destructive to thy soules good thy flesh the world and the devill thou carriest thy greatest enemy with thee for thou art a friend to thy flesh and it is an enemy to God For if thou live after the flesh thou shalt dye for the flesh is an enemy to the Spirit thy flesh onely leadeth thee to the earth for the earth is its center for it is for earthly things as for earthly honour and respect of the world and loves to have the prai 〈…〉 men and to have the riches of the flesh or 〈◊〉 world with all the delights of the flesh for we are apt to be more carefull for our fleshly man then for our spirituall man for thy flesh warâ—â—th against the Spirit Alas poore creature why â—â—st thou make so much of so great an enemy how much time dost thou take in cloathing thy flesh what cost dost thou bestow and what care dost thou take to beautifie thy enemy for what care dost thou take to cloathe him and to make him fine delightest in his beauty and how oft dost thou change his habit and how bravely dost thou adorne him how carefull art thou for his dyet and how softly dost thou lay him what delight dost thou take in his company how desirable is he how dost thou dote upon his beauty thou art inamoured with his presence and yet he is thine enemy thou seekest to save him and he seeks to destroy thee thou art willing to please him and spendest much time upon him but bee deceives thee of thy spiritualls he is but a rotten friend for he must come to corruption thou canst not save him nor he cannot save thee for he will leave thee in a sad condition and this is the enemy thou carriest with thee which will at last destroy thee if thou lookest not about thee he will bring thee to ruine before thou art aware to spend thy time for earth and to lose thy time for heaven And yet thou hast two enemies more which are destructive to thy spirituall condition for how doth the devill plot to worke 〈◊〉 in laying a snare in every corner that thou canst hardly escape him and how doth he spread his suares in the world in blinding their eyes with the Honours Riches and pleasures of this life to checke them of their Spirituall comforts and to take them off their precious time from looking after Heaven and therefore consider courteous Reader thy best condition is to study heavenly things let thy time be spent for Heaven for that will profit thee at the last and thou shalt finde a heavenly treasure which will stand thee in stead at the last day so the glory of this life is but for a time but the glory of Heaven endureth for ever For the sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed for if we suffer with him we shall also reigne with him but if we deny him he will also deny us And this hath encouraged me to write at this time desiring to improve that time that he hath given me to my Masters advantage from whom I looke for any reward I have set forth a Booke that is called or intituled Truths Champion or Truths Companion which is liked of some and despised of others and I was desired also to set forth my judgement in some other things which were necessary to Salvation for the knowledge of some and the strengthening of others and also that the truth may be knowne to all men but I know it will passe under many censures for I doe not thinke it will please all men for the world is not so apt tâ— receive truth I looke to be Judged for it I am not â—â—tter then my Master for his Doctrine was despised of the Learned and well may mine but I â—â—â—e thou wilt try me before thou judge me and then if thou judge me thou wilt also judge the Word for what I have done is not to please man for I am ready to passe under all censures for the name of Christ and I count all things but dung in respect of him and of his truth for whom I desire to suffer the losse of all things and count all but as drosse and dung that I may win Christ and be found in him for one smile from God is better then all the smiles of the World and therefore I care not for the judgement of man for I seeke not to please man but God for all the smiles of the world will but bring me to the
covenant Now the parties covenanting are the Father and Son for the Father strikes a covenant with the Son that he should teach all men and to do his will in declaring glad tidings to all the sonnes and daughters of men and to manifest his love to the world as you may see John 3. 16. so that if they do imbrace the grace and mercy offered them they may live and this doth appear by the words of the Father himselfe that this is truth for he saith As I live I will not the death of a sinner but that he live Ezek. 18. 32. and doth manifest the same in Isai 49. 6. where he saith That it was a small or light thing that Christ should be his servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the desolations of Israel but I will also give thee a light to the Gentiles and thou shalt be my salvation to the end of the earth to establish the earth and to cause to inherit the desolate heritages that thou maist say to the prisoners come forth and to them that are in darknesse shew your selves Isai 19. 6. 8. 9. And thus you see the Engagement of the Father For it is good and acceptable in his sight that he will have all 〈◊〉 to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2. 3. 4. and consulteth not that any man should perish but that all men should come to repentance 2 Pet. 3. 9. And for this end the Father hath inabled the Son with all sufficiency being full of grace and truth and giving all power into his hands whereby he might be the better inabled to do the same and thus the Father frees himselfe in giving all sufficient power unto the Son whereby he might teach all men and to performe the Covenant on his part and thus you see the incomprehensible love of the Father that he should engage himselfe thus unto the world that he would send his Son to be a Teacher to all the world so that this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light And so it doth appear that the Father is not wanting on his part to give light unto the Son that the Son might not be wanting on his part to give light to the world And then in the next place the Son strikes a covenant with the Father for these are the parties covenanting as you may see 1 Tim. 2. â— For there is one Mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus who is called the â—â—gel of the Covenant And the Mediatour between God and man who strikes a covenant with the Father saying Lo I come to do thy will O God for thus it is written of me in the volume of thy book to do thy will O God Heb. 10. 1. And so the Son covenants with the Father to do his will For I came to do the will of him that sent me and to declare his mind to the world and so he teaches all men as he himselfe doth declare when he saith When I am ascended I will draw all men unto me John 12. 32. And these are the words of Christ who was never wanting to fulfill his word for he drawes all men as you shall see First By the Works of creation As the heavens declare the glory of God and the earth sheweth forth his handy-worke day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night teacheth knowledge and there is no place where their voyce is not heard for their line is gone through the whole earth and their words unto the end of the world Psam 19. 1. 2. 3. and thus you see Christ drawes all men by the works of creation every creature indeed being a Gospel-Teacher Col. 1. 23. For that which may be known of God is manifest in them even the eternall power of God and the Godhead so that they are left without excuse Rom. 1. 19. 20. so that Christ drawes all men by the workes of creation which are as a naturall eye to see the Sun Secondly Christ drawes all men by Gospel-manifestation and therefore the Gospell is to â—e preached to all Nations Mat. 28. and thâ—â—ery creature Marke 16. And they have not obeyed the Gospel is not for want of hearing for the sound of the Gospel is gone through the earth and their words unto the end of the world Rom. 10. 18. The Gospell being preached to every or in every creature as you may see Col. 1. 29. and therefore Christ himselfe doth declare that the Gospell must be preached to all the world as you may see Mat. 24. 14. for a witnesse to all the world before the end shall come And thus Christ is not wanting to preach the Gospell For as by the sinne of one man death came upon all men to judgement even so by the righteousnesse of one the free-gift came upon all men to justification of life Rom. 5. 19. For this is the command of God that all men should believe in the Son he that doth not maketh God a lyer because he believes not the record that God gave of his Son 1 John 5. 10. And thus you may see that Christ is not wanting on his part to teach all men For this was the end of his coming that all men through him might believe Thirdly He drawes all men by the spirits revelation which was prophesied of before that he would poure out of his spirit upon all flesh Joel 2. 28. and that all flesh should see the salvation of God Mat. 3. 8. 〈◊〉 that grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching them Tit. 2 11. so that all men through him might believe John 1. 7. For he is the light of the world and the true light that lightens every man that cometh into the world John 1. 9. And thus he hath promised to do unto the worst of men as to the simple ones and such as delight in their scorning yea unto fools that hate knowledge and would have poured his spirit upon them had not they rejected it as you may see Prov. 1. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. saying Vnto you Oh men do I call and my voice is to the sonnes of men but seeing I have called and you have refused I will also refuse you saith the Lord. And thus you see the truth of this thing now will you say that Christ is wanting to teach any man the way to salvation whereby he might be saved and if he be you will lay the fault in him which he doth deny saying This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and they love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evill and will not come to the light John 3. 19. 20. And thus I have shewed you how Christ doth performe his part of the covenant in a word or two which is to teach all men whereby they might believe and imbrace the Gospell and lay hold of eternall life
and the glory that should follow 2 Pet. 10. 11. and thus Christ was promised of long before he came unto Adam and Noah as also to Abraham Isaac and Jacob and to Moses unto whoÌ„ the Father revealed the Son saying I will raise them a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee and I will put my word into his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I command him Deut. 18. 18. Acts 3. and as he was promised to Moses so also to the Prophets and thus to know him in the promise is life eternall 2. To know him as he was begotteÌ„ by the promise is life eternal for thus saith the Lord thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee for the Son was not born after the flesh but after the promise and mind of God and so the seed of grace was springing from the time of Adam till it came forth being begotten by the word of promise 3. To know him in his conception is life eternall being begotten by the immortall word all the promises compassing the Virgine about and the power of the most high overshadowing her Luke 1. 32. and so begat a holy seed Mal. 2. 15. So that that which was begot was a holy man Luke 1. 15. conceiv'd in the matrix or wombe of God being begot by the word of promise and born of the pure Virgin being conceived of the pure nature of God not borne after the flesh but after the Spirit or promise of God for the first man was of the earth earthly his Kingdom and power earthly and therefore his thoughts and mind earthly but the second is a heavenly man whose thoughts are heavenly being without spot or blemish or any worldly care but all for Heaven both in his thoughts words and deeds and therefore he was called the Lord from Heaven being able to conquer all the fleshly lusts and temptations of the world and therefore might rightly be called a Heavenly man and therein did exceed the first Adam And then again the first Adam was called the Image of God but the second Adam is called the expresse Image of the Fathers person whereby it doth appear that the second Adam is of a more glorious nature the first Adam being of a earthly nature the second Adam being of a spirituall nature the first Adam being set about earthly things and the second Adam being set about spirituall things And thus you see that Christ was begotten a pure man fit for all heavenly employment being of so glorious and pure a nature that he was able to aspire or ascend into Heaven for what should hinder him being every way heavenly and no way earthly in his nature and therefore he was able to walke upon the Sea and not be drowned as you may see Mat. 14. 15. and was able to passe thorow dores and stone Walls being so pure a man that there was nothing could hinder him from going into any place And thus it is life eternall to know the man Christ in his pure conception as he was a pure nature 4. To know him as he ascended into Heaven is life eternall for being a pure heavenly man he was able to ascend into Heaven for what should hinder him being a pure nature being a heavenly nature it was more naturall to be in Heaven then to be in earth for it is nothing but this sinfull nature that hinders us from Heaven but Christ having no sinne in his nature there was nothing could hinder him from ascending into Heaven Now that Christ did ascend into Heaven Now that Christ did ascend into Heaven doth appear for saith he No man hath ascended up to Heaven at any time but he that came down from Heaven which is the Sonne of man that was in Heaven and so Christ shows you that never any man did ascend to Heaven but himself but the man Christ went up into Heaven for he saith it and I dare not but believe it for his words are Spirit and Truth no man at any time but the man Christ John 3. 13. And I I came down from Heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me John 6. 38. For the Father takes him up into Heaven and revealed his mind and his will to him what he would have him to declare to the world and to manifest the Fathers love to all men if they did imbrace his doctrine and so the Father sent him into the world that he that believed in him should not perish And thâ—â— much doth the Sonne confesse when he saith Lâ—â— I came to do thy will O God And I came down from Heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me And thus to know Christ is life eternall 5. To know him in his life is life eternall what he came to do and what he did First what he came to do and that was to do the will of the Father For thus it is written in the volume of thy book of me to do thy will O God Heb. 10. For the words that I speak are not mine but the words of him that sent me And thus you see the end of Christs comeing to declare the mind of the Father to the world which was a pure heavenly Doctrin all tending to grace and glory his Doctrine being all spirituall and to know him in his life as he was a pure spirituall man for all his thoughts were heavenly and his words and Doctrine heavenly and all his actions heavenly So that it might truly be said he came from Heaven being a man for Heaven and not for earth all his actions tending Heaven-ward being indeed a man for another world Heaven being ready to receive him and the world being weary of him and thus to know Christ iâ— eternall life 6. To know him in his death is eternall life all his life being a life of heavenly trouble 〈◊〉 of heavenly afflictions being in his life a patterne of all heavenly living So that the World had nothing against his person but against his doctrine for their envy against him was not in respect of his person but of his Doctrine for his person might have been free but for his Doctrine for his accuseâ—â— said he is a blasphemer and is worthy to die for he hath said he came from God and that he came from Heaven and that he was the Sonne of God and hath spoke against our Lawes and against Moses and hath said he is greater then Abraham and the Prophets and hath preached blasphemy and therefore he ought and is worthy to die and is not worthy to live and by our Law he ought to be put to death And for these Reasons they sought to destroy him and were never satisfied till they had got him into their hands and so to be revenged on him by smiting of him with their hands and scourging him with whips and rods with their mockings of him and spitting in his face and
Crowning him with Thornes and doing him all the disgrace that they could who was led as a sheep to the slaughter and did stand up to maintain the Doctrine that he delivered 〈◊〉 the mouth of the Father to his death that it might appear to all the word that that he had delivered was truth and for to indicate his doctrine he was ready to lay down his life and was ready to seale the truth with his bloud and as the first Covenant was sealed and confirmed with the bloud 〈◊〉 â—uls and of goats even so he 〈◊〉 willing â—â—d ready to seal and confirme the Covenant of grace and glory with his own bloud and so the bloud of Christ is called the bloud of the Testament Covenant or Will of God â—â—d thus to know the Lord Jesus Christ iâ—â—â—â—rnall life Seventhly it is life eternall to know Christ in his resurrection from death to life so he became the more glorious in that he conqueâ—â—d all his enemies and destroyed those that thought to have destroyed him for he said unto death I will be thy death and he conquered the grave and he said unto the grave give up he overcame sin the world and the devill for he loosed the powers of darknesse and he conquered principalities powers and made a shew of it openly Colos 2. Yea he conquered proud flesh to the terrour of all â—is enemies and thus Jesus Christ rose from death to life and was more famous in his suffering then before in loosing the pains of death Acts 2. 24. for it was impossible that it should be holden of it the Father having before promised That he would not leave his soule in grave nor suffer his holy one to see curruption Psal 16. 10. being the first fruits of them that sleep and a sure evidence of the resurrection of the dead being raised up by the mighty power of God that as Christ was raised up so also shall we by the same spirit who raised up Jesus who is gloriously ascended up into heaven as a fore-runner for us for he that was made a â—little lower then the Angels is crowned with glory and honour so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confesse him yea those that pierced him being made the Judge both of the quick and the dead to the joy and salvation of his friends and to the destruction of his enemies and thus to know him is eternall life Eightly To know him as he is God is eternall life for when he had done the will of the Father had so gloriously confirmed the Gospell by his suffering and confirmed the truth with his bloud when that heavenly naâ—ure was made subject to anger when 〈◊〉 sweat water and bloud making strong cries and supplications with tears unto him that was able to deliver him and was heard in the thing that he desired and when he said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and when he said Father into thy hands I commit my spirit and so he suffered as a lamb without spot and blemish in fulfilling all the prophesies that the Prophets prophesied of him to fulfill the Scriptures and the mind of the Father when he said O Father not my will but thine be done that he might accomplish all that was written of him to do that thereby he might finish the glorious work of the Gospell and establish an everlasting Covenant sealing and confirming it with his own bloud being the bloud of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 10. 29. chap. 13. 20. and for all those heavenly acts of the Son the Father raises him from the dead For he was raised up by the mighty power of God as the God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree Acts 2. 24. 32. chap. 3 13. 15. chap. 5. 33. 31. And thus you see the Father raises him from the dead in a glorious manner and makes him a God and gives all power into his hands as you may see Mat. 28. 18. and so the Son is God by office being the great and chiefe officer of God in being made heir of all things Heb. 1. 1. 2. and this was prophesied as in the Psal 110. 1. where the Prophet saith The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstool Now Davids Lord was Christ and Christs Lord was God as doth appear in Heb. 1. where the Father saith Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee and again I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son and again When he bringeth his first begotten into the world he saith and let all the Angels worship him And of the Angels he saith who maketh his Angels spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire but of the Son he saith Thy-throne O God is for ever and ever a Scepter of righteousnesse is the Scepter of thy Kingdom for thou hast loved righteousnes and hated iniquity therefore God even thy God hath anointed thee with the oile of gladnesse above thy fellowes and thus the Father hath exalted him above the Gods saying Sit thou on my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstool Psal 110. 1. For God the Father hath made him the God of all things and so the Father calls him the everlasting Father the Prince of peace and hath put the Government upon him and of his Government there shall be no end for God the Father will perform this Esay 9. 6. 7. The Spirit of God the Father being upon him that he might judge the righteous in mercy and the wicked in judgement Esay 11. 4. And thus the Father hath crowned him with glory and honour for it hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell for he is the fulnesse of the Godhead the Father having made him God of all things both in heaven and earth and now the Son is to rule till he have put all things under his feet Now the last enemy is death for he hath put all things under his feet but the Son shall subdue and conquer death and shall reign till he hath put down all rule and all authority and power and then cometh the end when he shall deliver up the Kingdome to God even the Father and be subject to him that so God the Father may be all in all things 1 Cor. 15. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. And thus you see that God the Father hath given all things to the Son and hath made him a God till the end of all things till all enemies are conquered by the Son and then shall he give up the Kingdome to the Father again and be subject to him that God the Father may be all in all and thus to know Christ is eternall life Now the use that I make of all this is this It sheweth the great exceeding love of the Father to us in revealing his mind and will to a
worketh good glory Rom. 2. 10. There is a glory in the Law Rom. 12. 23. and the Gospel is called glory 2 Cor. 4. 4. And there is a vaine glory Gal. 5. 26. There is a glory of the Saints Ephes 3. 13. and a glory in affliction and then there is a glory of the Church Ephes 5. 21. and there is a glory in their shame Phil. 3. 19. the Saints were the glory of the Apostles 2 Thes 1. 20. There is a glory of the Whoore Revel 18. 7. and there is a glory of the Gentiles Revel 22. 24. for the Gentiles shall bring their glory to the Saints Revel 1. 26. also there is an earthly glory and there is a heavenly glory a glory in Grace and a glory in Glory and that is the glory of all glories CHAP. VIII Of Faith NOw the Text saith The just shall live by his faith and therefore I shall endeavour to speake a word or two of Faith it is that whereby we live in Grace and it is that whereby we are carried on to Glory now there is a faith of the History and there is a faith of the Mystery there is a faith of Miracles and there is a legall faith there is a temporary faith and an Evangelicall faith and the last is most excellent being the faith of the Gospell that carries us on to Salvation and in the next place I shall shew you what faith is Now faith or beleefe is an obedience to or a living in all the commands of the Gospell to Salvation now it doth appeare that faith or beleefe is obedience because unbeleefe is counted rebellion or disobedience for such as beleeve and obey are justified John 3. 36. for he giveth the Holy Ghost to those that obey him Act. 5. 32. And know you not that to whom you yeeld your selves servants to obey his servants yee are to whom you obey whether of sinne unto death or of obedience to life Rom. 6. 16. and ye have purified your soules in obeying the truth 2 Pet. 1. 22. and thus you see faith or obedience justifieth the creature for thereby he is justified and such as are unbeleevers and disobedient are condemned when Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance to those that obey not the Gospel 2 Thess 1. 8. for to those that are disobedient Christ is a stone to stumble at and a rock to be offended at to such as stumble at the Word being disobedient and obey not that whereon they were set 1 Pet. 2. 7 8. that all those might be damned which obey not the truth but obey unrighteousnesse 1 Thess 2. 10. 12. and thus you see that faith or beleefe is obedience and rebellion or unbeleefe is disobedience now the great controversie will be whether it is Christs worke or the Creatures worke to act faith now the greatest part hold that it is Christs worke to act faith and some few hold that it is the Creatures worke to act faith now the greatest part can never be in the best way and therefore I shall side with the lesser part for they say the fault is in the Creature that he doth not beleeve and the greatest Party say it is not the Creatures worke to beleeve it is Christs worke to act faith and so they lay all the unbeleefe upon Christ and therefore I shal prove that it is the Creatures work and not Christs to act faith And first it is the Creatures worke to beleeve because Christ hath done his work for Christs worke was to obey the Commands of his Father and to set forth such a way to the world as they were to stand to and to establish that way for life and death and this was his worke enjoyned him from the Father which he did in setting downe the minde of the Father in all things that were necessary to salvation which he did and sealed the Doctrine of the Father with his blood and did his worke and therefore he saith If you keepe my Commandements yee shall abide in my love as I have kept my Fathers Commandements and abide in his love John 15. 10. Christs worke was to obey the Commands of the Father and our worke is to obey the Commands of the Sonne and therefore it is our worke to beleeve and not Christs 2. That Christ hath done his worke will appeare because Christ is entred into his rest and sure he did not enter before he had done his worke for he said He had finished his course and done all things that the Father commanded him by perfecting the way of Salvation to all the world and giving Commandement unto his Apostles to establish that Gospel to the whole earth and all things as he had commanded them as you may see Mat. 28. Act. 1. 2. and when he had finished his whole worke he ascended to the Father and is entred into his rest Heb. 4. saying To him that over cometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne as I also overcame and am set downe with my Father in his throne Revel 3. 21. and therefore it doth appeare that it is not Christs worke to act faith in the Creature except you will call him in question from his rest which I thinke you dare not 3. If it be Christs worke to act faith in the Creature then the fault will lye in Christ that the Creature doth not beleeve and then the Father may question the Sonne for all the unbeleefe in the world seeing you say it was Christs worke to act faith in the Creature then all the fault will lye upon him for if he had acted faith the Creature should have beleeved and so the Father might call the Son to an account for all the unbeleefe of the Creature and what is this thinke you but to pluck Christ out of his throne and to take him from his rest 4. If it be Christs worke to act faith in the Creature then the Creature hath a good excuse and may say there is no cause wherefore he should be condemned for not beleeving seeing it was not his worke to beleeve but the fault was in Christ who did not act faith in him and therefore he was not to blame because it was not his worke to beleeve but Christs worke and therefore no reason he should be condemned for anothers fault and so you would excuse the Creature and condemne Christ 5. Christ doth not act faith in the Creature because he shall judge the Creature for not beleeving for it were improper that he should be the Judge that were in the fault and condemne the creature for not beleeving when it was never his worke to beleeve and so the creature might reply unto the Judge that he did condemne him falsely to condemne the creature for not beleeving when it was Christs work to act faith and not the creatures and thus you see what sad effects would follow this Tenent that it is Christs worke to act faith in the creature 6. If it be