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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	world_n	worldly_a	worship_v	36	3	7.6802	4	false

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

spouse of Christ the right new-spirited Saint is despised and slighted as a weak foolish contemptible thing no body at Ordinances and righteousness in her way which she experiences to be the way of Christ finding the fruits of his presence in it Thus was it between Paul with others and some of the Corinthian Church Both were married to and interested in Christ but by different Covenants We are fooles saies he for Christ's sake ye are wise in Christ. We are weak ye strong Ye honourable we despised 1 Cor. 4. 10. and 2 Cor. 10. 12. We dare not make our selves of the number or compare our selves with such as commend and compare themselves with one another of the same principles and perswasions and so applaud themselves in one another by their mutual self-deceivings The true spiritual Elder Paul the aged he is in body with this flourishing youthful warm legal-spirited generation The main business he has to say for himself is a Life hid with Christ in God and worshipping God in spirit and truth This they reckon as nothing but discourse fiction foolishness But be it known those that with Paul are weak foolish and despised for Christ are better than such as he there implicitly reproves and taxes with folly that yet he acknowledges were wise strong and honourable in Christ. Such foolish weak despised ones of Christ as Paul was are they that will quite confound the wise the mighty the honourable The things that are not shall bring to nought the things that are and no flesh with all its ornament righteousness and wisdom shall enter into Christ's kingdom or glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1. 27 29. And as the spiritual saint is thus handled by the fleshly so is the spirit or spiritual part in the same saint dealt with by the fleshly Holy flesh the renewed natural mind will be despising the feeblness of the spiritual while weak and low and jusling it out of the Throne as to its interesting it self as the ruling Principle at working righteousness and worshiping God Having thus in Hagar taken notice of the malapert proud insulting carriage of the first-covenant Wife or Spirit in different saints or in the same against the right spirit of the second through confidence in the works of the Law or works performed in the ruling activity of their own renewed mind let us proceed to other branches and observables in the said Allegory before us Abram as a type of Christ delivers up Hagar into Sarai's hand Sarai dealt hardly with her so she should Hagar fled 't was her sin What signified Sarai's hard dealing with her Persecution No the Spirit of Christ the fire-baptism the strait gate that will not suffer flesh and blood to enter into the kingdom of God this it signified Hagar's flight then imports the declining and refusal of all these The legal spirited professor confident in the works of the Law will endure none of these things They are all a sad story a hard saying to him His usual way of waving them if urged and hard put to 't is to call them Blasphemy and the Witnesses thereof Blasphemers and on he goes very secure in his doatage But say or think man what he will this is Christ's way he gives up the fleshly worshipper and the fleshly part in the true spiritual worshipper to the spiritual to be humbled and abased broken and subdued hardly dealt with crucified slain and offered up in sacrifice under the power of the Cross of Christ or fire-baptism of his spirit typified by Sarai There 's no entring into the kingdom but we must pass thorow this fire this tribulation this bruising of the inmost part of the natural man his very spirit and rational powers whatever ever becomes of his outward as to persecution from the world Hagar despised Sarai Ishmael mocked Isaac Gen. 21. 9. this was persecution Usually those that are taken out of the world or worldly first-creation constitution and frame of spirit within them by the fire-baptism do so differ even from the professing part of the world in their very religion or union with God by another Covenant and in their more excellent way of worshipping God in spirit and truth not letter and form that they seldom or never scape the external branch of the cross and baptism of blood through the rage enmity of man against this new-creature marvellous light and life that is springing up in those whom God is transforming into another nature But let men take it how they will the cross the fire-baptism we must come to within us first or last or we cannot be saved The fleshly worshipper either yields to this fiery doctrine ministry and way or resists or flies If He get the magistrates sword on his side as if Hagar could have got Abram to side with her against Sarai then he 'l make the messenger of such tydings fly Sarai must fly or suffer under Hagar Men decry it for heresie blasphemy and persecute him that talkes at such a rate Thus Christ himself was served by the zealous legally religious Iew. 'T was the religious professing party of the Iewes that crucified Christ and would take no answer hear no reason or argument from Pilate the Heathen Magistrate to the contrary But if the sowre Legalist neither will yeild nor can brui●ishsly resist this hard doctrine by outward force or persecution then he takes Hagars course flies it And what then He every where decries this spiritual doctrine of the cross and fire-baptism for heretical dangerous and seductive wishing all to beware how they meddle with such books converse with such persons or listen to such dangerous suggestions While toleration lasted I have experimented this to be the too general frame of spirit amongst professors in this nation who have evidently chosen rather to venture a persecution of their own doctrine and persons than endure this and the assertors thereof Here 's the mystery of Hagars flight The Angel of the Lord advises her to return and submit her self to her Mistris In her all these timerous fugitive envious legal-spirited Christians that are leavened with the leaven of the Pharisees are admonished to entertain better thoughts of the New-Ierusalem Spouse resembled by Sarai and submit themselves to her doctrine and more excellent way to the cross the fire-baptism the spirit of Christ the covenant of grace Sarai This is the doctrine the reproof the correction the instruction on in everlasting righteousness which that History that Allegory is pregnant with Christ with both his Covenant Spouses and Children are allegorically expressed by Husband and Wife Father and Children Head and Members with the like Such expressions are interpretable into mystery by a due considering the duties and offices of such Relations in the letter And as Christ himself so Paul and others are in way of Allegory called Fathers of such as by them are begotten to Christ through the Gospel 1 Cor. 4. 15. and vers 17. he calls Timothy his

Synagogues Away with him away with such a fellow from the earth say they it is not fit that he should live Act. 22. .22 We find the Iewish religious party that served Paul thus striking hands with a pro●ane Interest Act. 17. 5 7. Through envy at the spiritual believers Faith and Testimony they call to their assistance certain Iowa fellows of the baser sort set all the City in an uproar assault the house of Jason dragging him and other brethren before the Rulers of the City and crying These that have turned the World upside down are come hither also and do contrary to the Decrees of Caesar saying there is another King one Iesus This is the charge at all adventures they matter not much for proofes while they can find stones as they served Steven Act. 7. The World is turned upside down indeed But understand how O ye bruitish among the People ye fools when will ye be wise The honest Heathen is soberer than you the legal Christian is soberer than he the spiritual man is the soberest of all and he is reckoned the most disordered He speakes forth the words of greatest truth and soberness The case then is this when the World is in a mad bruitish disordered hurly burly they that attempt to bring righteousness a-floate are accused of turning it up side down Setting all to rights is reckoned the greatest Confusion The Rights of the Kingdom are reckoned the Wrongs of the King and many with whom the true native Rights of an earthly Kingdom will down are ready to startle at and resist the rights of Christs Kingdom in the Spirits and Consciences of men Even they will be ready to say of the Assertors of such Rights that they are no longer fit to live in the World that 's man's judgement The World is no longer worthy of them that 's God's Heb. 11. 38. 'T is plain God and men are of exceeding contrary Judgements concerning the true believer 'T is as plain We must all appear at last before the Iudgement seat of Christ for our final sentence 'T is plain also that we ought to obey God rather than Men Act. 5. 29. And not to be the servants of Men in things pertaining to God 1 Cor. 7. 23. From the cross constitution then which this world is generally found in to all Truth but most of all to the Spiritual and Sublimest sort of Truth it may appear what a hard time a Believer is like to have of it if he stand up for the Cause and Interest of God against the Devil who is called the God of this world 2 Cor. 4. 4. Here is the grand competitor of Christ that struggles for the Soveraignty the great red Dragon Rev. 12. 3. This is he that musters up animates and influences the sons of men to fight against God that he may exalt himself in them above all that is called God 2 Thes. 2. 4. Working in the children of disobedience at his pleasure Ephes. 2. 2. Do you see your General O ye sons of men will ye still fight under his Banner Consider the main Impostures of this self-transformer whereby you are beguiled into his Interest First He seduces your Understanding into this most false perswasision That he is the highest rational Being to whom doth of right belong the Legislative Authority and Supream Magistratical Dominion over the whole earth as God of this World under whose influence and dictates all earthly Thrones and Benches of Judicature ought to proceed in judgement Under this pretended and assumed Title of the highest rational Being he expects to be owned and submitted to as requiring no allegiance or obedience from his Subjects upon any other tearms than as he approves himself to their Consciences to mannage his Government exactly according to the Principles of humane Nature and Rules of right Reason Secondly He assumes and challenges to himself the Authority of the highest Spirit of Truth boasting himself as the infallible Teacher and Guide in matters of Faith and divine Worship in all things pertaining to the good and salvation of Souls Having thus assumed to himself these two grand prerogatives of Christ's Crown as the Supream Head not under but above Christ himself yea in direct contradiction to him in all Causes and over all persons as well Ecclesiastical as Civil 't is obvious to imagine what Titles Christ and his followers are like to have from this Dragon and his First They will boldly and openly assert that that which is inde●● the spirit of Christ in him and his is an irrational Fanatick spirit destructive to all natural Order and good Government in humane Society Secondly That it is a deceitful deluding Spirit destructive to all sound Doctrine divine Institutions Church Order and Rule In these four things this grand Antichrist is the liar that denies Iesus to be the Christ. Under which Generals are comprehended multitudes of Particulars in his skilful methods of delusion needless here to be enumerated He that hath once gained these four points in the generallity of men will easily out-vote and cry down Christ and his for Blasphemers and Disturbers of mankind and accordingly handle them He prevailed even with the learned Religious Jewes to serve Christ thus Yea he attempted to seduce Christ himself to his party to own him for God fall down and worship him Christ refuses He therefore steers another course sets the Jewes upon it to call him Blasphemer and say he hath a Devil This is one step towards the accomplishing of his design when he hath once engaged men to say of Christ and his followers that they are Blaspemers and Devils he that thus makes them liars will make them Murtherers too they will soon cry Crucifie them Crucifie them right or wrong Away with them from the earth it is not fit that they should live Christ hath told us these things before hand Joh. 15. and Chap. 16. 1 and 4. that we should not be offended or surprised when they really come upon us If they have done these things to the green tree what will they do to the dry Luke 23. 31. The Servant is not greater than his Lord Joh. 15. 20. If the Master be called Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his houshold Matth. 10. 25. Satans followers have the start of Christ's for number they out-vote them clear He ha's four hundred lying Prophets against one true 1 Kings 22. 6. and vers 20 23. I suppose you may discern by this time whether this Sufferer or his Enemies were in the fault that he was reckoned a man of Contention But peradventure this may yet grow clearer by considering his Principles He spake much of Principles What meant he Some Fundamental Truths worded and propounded in a Book as Perkins his Six Principles or the like He meant inward ruling Principles or Springs of Life and operation in men By taking a little freedom in handling this Point I shall give you aim at his Principle in its

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

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

The World was no longer worthy of him He is therefore gone from the earth But his Person and righteous Testimony shall be ●ad in everlasting remembrance Psal. 112. 6. His eye was fixed upon a better Countrey the Saints everlasting Rest. There the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest Those that have been made Prisoners and out-casts in this world as the off-scouring of all things shall rest together there They shall no more hear the voice of the oppressor Job 3. 17 18. The present enjoyments and blessedness of this deceased Saint do set him clear out of the reach of his enemies malice or my pen. He steaddily sees and unchangeably enjoyes what Paul before quite rid of his mortal body had but the transient view of in a short rapture when caught up to the third heaven 1 Cor. 12. or into that vision of God in Christ that is exhibited to the double-portioned Saint that sits on the Throne with Christ. 'T is the favourable presence of God in Christ onely that makes heaven to angels or men God's threefold various presence with his Church in and through Christ makes the three heavens That presence that is afforded in the adaequate intelligible form to the highest life and discerning of the double-portioned Saint the Bride the Lambs Wife makes the third heaven That which is given forth in the adaequate intelligible form to the elect Angels and Spirits of just men made perfect as the sutable immediate object of their discerning makes the second heaven That presence of God together with the fruits of it that in Christ is afforded to Saints on earth makes the first They have their conversation in this first heaven Phil. 3.20 or lowest kind of presence and converse of Christ in spirit They do live in the exercise of that spiritual seed and those principles which when fully awakened in the resurrection will render them fit inhabitants of the second and third heavens Paul in the short glance he had of that most excellent glory of God in Christ that is intelligible or discernable to the most exalted sort of Saints tells us he heard unspeakable words or saw unspeakable things which it is not lawful or possible for a man to utter Here then I must take off my hand and leave you to make the best you can of it in silence and wonder Thus have I cast in my small mite towards the vindication of the Person Doctrine and Way of this choice anointed one of the Lord and faithful assertor of his Countries Liberties unto Death from the groundless aspersions causeless hatred misprisions and injuries that have fallen to his share in this world There are two sorts of enemies who in the rage and vain imaginations of their hearts have reproached blasphemed assaulted affronted resisted and persecuted Christ in him They are both deciphered Psal. 2. 1. under the titles of Heathen and People I have a word of two to divide between them and speak to each of them apart My first word is to a People of God who in whatever variety of form perswasion or way have all of them with one consent separated from Rome as justly loathing and nauseating her most gross visible Idolatries and abominations They have also separated from the dry impertinent formality of a meer outward profession of Protestantisme under a superstitious Episcopacy These they have separated from on the left hand it was their duty so to do But they have also separated from or rather cast out the spiritual Believer and true heir of the everlasting Kingdom on the right hand This is their great sin that has brought a prophane heathenish superstitious idolatrous Interest over their heads again and run all a-ground They have demonstrated themselves to be of that spirit that Paul reproved in some of the Corinthian Church that would be reigning as Kings in the but renewed principles of humane nature and righteousness of man 1 Cor. 4. 8. When therefore this true heir sounded his trumpet in his RETIRED MEDITATIONS and proclaimed another sort of Saints men of another spirit other principles and a more excellent way of life to be the onely true heirs of the Kingdom and possessed of the true reigning Principle they could not bear it They have chosen rather to give the Scepter back again into any hand then the true heir of the heavenly Kingdom should wield it I mean not a Person onely but a People a People prepared for the Lord. Whoever you be that have thus demeaned your selves and sinned away twenty years Mercies and Deliverancies whatever your Judgment Form or Way be as to this or that particular Doctrine or Ordinance if you yet lodge but in the renewed old Adam state of life or first-creation spirit and principles as you have seen them above-charactered to you it is I direct this word You that are in some good measure and degree inwardly cleansed from the pollutions of this world the corruption of nature give me leave to tell you you may be thus wash'd and baptized by the word of truth into a practical experimental knowledge of Christ after the flesh and conformity with him as he was ●ound in the flesh born of a woman made under the Law for your sanctification Let me tell you further you may be made comely through his comeliness or righteousness of that sort put upon you or imputed to you for your justification You may over and above all this be adorned with many jewels and bracelets excellent gifts and the tongue of men and angels and yet fall short of the glory and righteousness of God in the new and everlasting Covenant and so may prove to be at last but sounding brass or tinkling cymbals Ez. 16. 11 12. 1 Cor. 12. 31. 13. 1. All your sanctified justified beautified and adorned state in which you flourished was but the rectified adorned first-covenant natural man and you took all to be spiritual new-covenant Life and ornament This is one of the saddest mistakes mortal men are subject to and is like to cost them dearest Their disappointment is fatal and irrecoverable Their work is exceeding dangerous in kicking against the pricks persecuting of Christ in the true spiritual believer But their case is no●remediless as they may see in Paul till they knowingly and malitiously say Come this is the heir let 's kill him and the inheritance shall be ours There are those from amongst these Legal spirited professors both Pastors and People that have had their share in betraying this just man in blaspheming his Principles and Doctrine in casting reproaches upon him while living and pleasing themselves to think that they are now well rid of him his Doctrine and Way by his Death Deceive not your selves His testimony has received a more signal ratification by his Death then in all his Life He warn'd you of many things In reference to one of his warning-pieces as to the making clean riddance of Antichrist from amongst us I shall ask

mention some obscure proposition in the Mathematicks to an unlearned man or at least unversed in his Art He demands a demonstration How do you prove this saies he the other gives an exact demonstration but he through ignorance of the very rudiments and principles of Mathematick learning receives not the demonstration as any satisfactory account of the proposition to him at all He is as far to seek as ever What then where lies the fault In the pretended demonstration he will say He will by no means suspect his capacity The defect lies wholly in his understanding and he laies it all upon the demonstration saies nothing is proved Let a skilful Artist hear the matter he presently grants the demonstration to be as clear as the Sun This may be the case where the subject matter of the discourse is properly within ken to meer natural reason as the suitable and intelligible object thereof How much more difficult is the case with the true spiritual Believer and his Gospel doctrine in case he discourse with one that is confident he wants not for discerning and yet sees nothing at all as he ought to see has no discerning at all of spiritual things or of the spiritual sence reach and significancy of the Scriptures He has no eye at all suited to such matters yet none more confident The true spiritual watchman were as good meet a Bear robb'd of her whelps as talk with such a man about spiritual things He is absolutely unreasonable as to such things that faith only sees Paul prayed to be delivered from such cattel and desired others to pray for him on that account as the most irksome thing in the world Finally brethren pray for us saith he that the word of the Lord may have free course and that we may be delivered from unreasonable men for all men have not Faith 2 Thes. 3. 1 2. He that has not faith or the spiritual discerning is perfectly unreasonable as to spiritual things You were better talk to a tree if he be confident for that will make no noise to trouble you he will Men are still for How do you prove it They never question but they can understand and receive it if rightly evidenced Did not Christ himself speak with evidence as one having authority beyond all the teaching of the Scribes Mat. 7. 29. Yet how was he and his doctrine rejected by the Scribes and generallity of the religious party amongst the Iewes and received only by some poor fishermen and common sinners where was the fault that Christ's doctrine was not received Did not he give the demonstration right how often is it said in Scripture He that has an ear to hear let him hear The grand obstruction to the propagating of the Gospel is the want of the hearing ear Till there be this we speak to deaf men The old serpent has deaf'd and stop'd up their ears that they will not listen to the spiritual charmer charme he never so wisely And what then why then they fall to disputing and cavilling with him How do you prove this and how do you prove that You assert many things but what ground do you shew for all The disputer of this world is set at naught by the Holy Ghost Where is the wise where is the disputer of this World hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world 1 Cor. 1. 20. These disputers are not to be gratified in their way If there be a spiritual discerning spiritual things which carry their own evidence in them need onely to be asserted and prove while you will discourse a whole year together with one in whom is no such discerning he never will own that any thing is proved but holds fast his own conclusions still The way of Christ himself was not to dispute but assert and he that hath an ear to hear saies he let him hear if you will receive it receive it The true believer is to wave those unprofitable janglings by which contentious self-confident men would labour to confound all 1 Tim. 1. The Iewish teachers put this question to Christ himself Art thou the Christ tell us He said unto them if I tell you you will not believe Luk. 22.67 When Christ preach'd how many contradicted and blasphemed was the fault in him Speak who will Paul an Angel from heaven or Christ himself and let the hearing ear be wanting what can be done The very disciples when they were coming down from the Mount where Christ was transfigured before them he lets fall a word about the Resurrection and they are all in a puzzle to think what rising from the dead should mean Why say the Scribes that Elias must first come say they Elias is come saies he and they have done to him what they listed Mark 9.9 13. and Mat. 11.14 speaking of Iohn Baptist. If ye will receive it this is Elias which was for to come The last word of prophesy in the Old Testament pointed at Iohn the immediate preparatory Minister to the publick and general dispensation of the Gospel upon Christ's coming in the flesh Mal. 4. 5 6. If ye will receive it receive it He that hath an ear to hear let him hear that is he that has a spiritual understanding and discerning will take it They did so But what would the disputer of this world have said to him Sir you assert that Iohn Baptist was that Elias but how do you prove it So when the Apostle Iohn saies of false or short-sighted teachers They are of the world therefore the world hears them They They have populous Congregations all the world goes after them and admires this man and the other man But we saies he are of God He that knoweth God heareth us Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error 1 Joh. 4. 5 6. Would not the disputer of this world be out of all patience to hear a man assert at this rate and as he reckons prove nothing Let him be what he will this we see is the way of Christ and his Apostles If there be a spiritual ear this doctrine is received if not will any elaborate discourses or demonstrations ever bring to pass that the natural man shall receive the things of God What will become of that Scripture then 1 Cor. 2.14 Demonstrate while you will if there be not the ●ight reception the hearing ear all 's a case you are where you began The vain● jangling disputative way of foolish man is not at all to be gratified in the declaration of the mysteries of the kingdom of God Will you yet cavil and dispute O professors will you yet contradict and blaspheme Lo then I turn to the Gentiles My second Word is to you O Gentiles Be wise O Kings be instructed O ye Iudges of the earth Serve the Lord with fear Psal. 2. 10 11. The Signs and Wonders of God are coming thick upon you While it is yet called to day harden not your hearts against