Maker 〈◊〉 Heaven and Earth and all things â—…rein contained whether visible or inâ—…ble and that out of the Gen. 2.7 dust of the â—…und God created Man and breathed inâ—… him the breath of life and thereby â—…n became a Gen. 28. living Soul and was plac'd 〈◊〉 God in Gen. 1.26,27 Eden the Garden of God in â—…oly happy blessed State and God â—…ve them Power over the Fish of the 〈◊〉 the Fowl of the Air and the Beast 〈◊〉 the Field and over all the Earth and over every thing that creepeth on the Earth And Man should have so continued in this blessed and happy State Gen. 2.17 never to have known decay sickness forrow or death had he not there sinned against his great Creator and his most liberal Benefactor Gen. 3.4,5 in that they did adhere to the Enemy of God which is the Devil and believed what he said and did not believe the God of Truth for which they were turn'd out of Paradise Gen. 3.23 and became more vile and miserable than all Creatures that have their Being upon Earth and so 't would have succeeded to his unborn Posterity Job 14.4 Psal 51.5 Job 4.8 for now their Natures became corrupt so as Righteousness and Holiness and Wisdom which was the Image of God stampt upon them now had left thâ—m and was quite defaced in them and they became 〈◊〉 like the Prince of Darkness which is â—…e Devil who for his Pride and Rebelâ—â—n against God he and his Adherents were cast out of Heaven and from glorious Angels became Devils in Hell and are kept in Chains of Darkness unto the Judgment of the Great Day of God who are to be punished eternally in Hell-fire Joh. 3.44 Joh. 3.8 Jude 6. 2 Pet. 2.4 But God looking on Mankind in their forlorn and miserable Condition with an eye of pity and compassion gave them a word of Comfort which was That the Gen. 3.15 Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpent's head which is the Devil and God said that he would put enmity between the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent And in that God had compassion on Mankind rather than upon the fallen Angels so as to send them a Saviour Luk. 2.11 Mat. 1.21 There was this reason the fallen Angels were the principal and alone Causes of their own Rebellion but Mankind was stirr'd up to it through the subtil Insinuations and Lyes of the Devil Gen. 3.1 and therefore Mankind had a Tender of Grace offered them if we receive it according to the condition as it is offered us which is with Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ with Love and Obedience to him to whom all the Prophets bear witness â—…aring he should be born of a Virgin 〈◊〉 speaking of his Sufferings and of his Death and of his Rising again Act. 20.21 Act. 4.12 Act. 3.23,26 Isa 7.14 Isa 53. Ps 16.10 Act. 2.24 13.34 I believe in this Lord Jesus Christ â—hat he is the onely begotten Son of God who gave himself to satisfie Divine Justice and to make Reconciliation for poor â—ost and undone Creatures which were dead in Trespasses and Sins through that â—f Adam's Transgression Joh. 1.14 Joh. 10.15,18 Eph. 2.1 Heb. 9.14 2 Cor. 3.5 Gen. 6.5 Rev. 3.17 Rom. 7.15 Job 4.20 Isa 30.33 2 Pet. 2.4,5 whereby our Nature became so corrupt that we have â—est us neither Strength to stand 〈◊〉 Willâ—… striâ—… nor 〈…〉 〈…〉 in which woful condition we should have spent some few Days here and after which been plunged into Hell it self for ever and there to have been tormented with the Devil and damned Spirits Luk. 16.32 Jud. 7. Isa 5.15 Deut. 32.22 Joh. 1.1,2,3 without any redress had not the Son of God the second Person in the Trinity who to fulfil his Fathers promise and for the wonderful Love he bare to his Creatures he left the Throne of his Fathers Glory where he had been from all Eternity and did vouchsafe to take upon him the means of our Flesh and therein was conceived by the Power of the Holy Ghost in the Womb of the Virgin Mary Matt. 1.20,21 Luk. 1.30,31,32 but born of her without sin and when he came into the World he then suffered the Miseries of this Life the Wrath of God and the cursed Death of the Cross that through Death he might destroy him that had the Power of Death which is the Devil and deliver them who through the fear of Death were all their Life-time subject to bondage Luk. 23.35,36 Luk. 23.33 and 44 45 46. Heb. 2.14,15 and the Lord of Life was buried descended into Hell and continued under the Power of Death till the third Day Luk. 24.6,7 in which he rose again from the Dead as a triumphant Victor over Sin Death and Hell and after his Resurrection he was seen oâ— all his Apostles 1 Cor. 15.5,6 and of above 500 Brethreâ— at once and remained upon the Earth for the space of forty Days and then he went to Mount Olivet with his Disciples and more Witnesses Act. 1.3.9,10,11,12 and from thence he ascended up into Heaven and now sitteth at the Right-hand of God the Father and there maketh intercession for the Saints according to the Mind of God Heb. 1.3 Joh. 12.41 Rom. 8.34 Heb. 6.7.25 I believe also that assuredly there is Life and Salvation to be had through our Lord Jesus Christ if we come to him by faith and repentance so as to confess and forsake our sins and believe in him and his word so that we unfeignedly love and fear to offend him we shall be beloved of him and made eternally blessed by him through his perfect Righteousness which shall be imputed to us who is able to preserve us in time and in Eternity I believe in the Holy Ghost that he is the Sanctifier of our Natures whereby our Wills are renewed so as to desire to serve the living God in truth and in sincerity and also in time of trouble he doth often administer comfort and consolation to the Saints Acts 20.21 and 3.19 John 14.21 Joh. 8.31 Jer. 23.6 Rom. 8.14 1 Cor. 3.15 Gal. 5.16 1 Cor. 1.22 Joh. 5.26 I believe there is a Holy Catholick Church a member of which is every sincere hearted Christian throughout the World that worships the Lord in spirit and truth for our blessed Lord saith John 4.23,24 that the Father seeketh such to worship him I believe there will be the Resurrection of the Body and Life everlasting for the Righteous and eternal Damnation for them that go on in their wicked Ways I believe also that the Lord will come in the last Day in the Clouds of Heaven to render vengeance to his Adversaries and those that know not God and will not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.21,22 Joh. 5.28,29 Col. 1.18 Matt. 25.46 John 11.24 Acts 1.11 2 Thess
was one of those who then upon his conversion had his iniquities forgiven and his sins covered yet he said Wo be to him if he preacht not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 Whereby he sheweth he must yield his obedience or else vengeance would overtake him Heb. 10.30 And also after that Abraham had been obedient in leaving his Countery and his kindred the Lord again appeared to him Gen. 17.1 and said I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect The which shews God requires our continuance in our obedience to him The which in being sincere therein is man's perfection And after God further tryed and proved Abraham whether he would obey in all things even to that in which the desire of his Soul was set upon which was in the offering up of his Son Isaac And that God commanded him to do without a promise of reward but afterwards for his willingness to be obedient therein God redoubled his promise to him For God's promises are generally attain'd and retain'd in the way of our love and obedience And St. Paul saith Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves Servants to obey his Servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness By these words the Apostle puts it out of all dispute clearly shewing that we are his Servants to whom we do yield our selves Servants to obey And the Apostle saith to the Church in the following verse That they were the Servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you Now the form of Doctrine was that they should observe all things whatsoever Christ had commanded This being the last charge Christ left with his Disciples promising such as did accordingly obey that he would be with them to the end of the world Matth. 28.20 Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were justified by works be hath whereof to glory but not before God That is not before God as tho' he had by his good works merited all those great blessings that God had promised him No this is quite contrary to truth and contrary to the understanding that still remains in us that he or we by our poor endeavours when at the best should for them deserve an everlasting inheritance and an eternal weight of glory and that procured by the Sacrifice of the Son of his love No so to think is an offence to God And also the Lord Christ saith When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you say ye are unprofitable Servants Luk. 17.10 For God needed not us for his eternal blessedness would not have been diminished if we had eternally perished For he would have remained eternally blessed without us altho' we should have remained eternally miserable without him For a poor Soul before God has no more reason to glory than a poor condemned Malefactor that a great Prince had taken pity of therefore paid his ransome taken him into his Service withal promising him as long as he kept to the Rule or way that he had set him and did not wilfully depart from it he would be with him to carry him through all difficulties and that if he so continued to do he would not leave him nor forsake him and that for the short time that he should set him if he therein was found faithful to his service he then would adopt him his Son and give him an inheritance as a Son of his Now should this Servant boast and glory before his Prince and say I think for the small time of service that thou requirest of me I deserve all that thou hast done or hath promised to do for me this would immediately disinherit him of his Princes favour But on the contrary if this Servant's heart is drawn out in love and obedience to his Prince for the great kindness received and for the future promises made to him he having a sense how infinitely above any thing that his deservings could be his Prince had promised to reward him And therefore he resolving to do his utmost endeavour that he might be found faithful in his service he having strong confidence and faith in his Prince that if he was found diligent in his Service his Lord would not only be willing but had power according to his promise to reward him His Prince also giving him orders that he should come to him upon all occasions for fresh supplies whereby he might be enabled to do him service This Servant observing diligently all the orders his Lord gave him therefore at the appointed time receives the promised reward But not as tho' he had merited these great things but that his great benefactor had promised such great rewards to all his Servants that should be found faithful in his Service So Christ of his free grace and mercy hath paid the ransom for sinners for all that will yield to him their love and sincere obedience And at the time he takes them into his Service he then clears them of all their past sins and for the time to come promises his assistance whilst they keep the way which he hath set them and do not willingly depart from it And if they should be overtaken in a fault against their wills they then shall not be utterly cast down for Christ remains an Advocate for them And if they accordingly continue faithful to the death hath promised then to give them the Crown of life but not as tho' their service had merited so great a reward but that of his great mercy and rich grace he hath promised such great rewards to all that are faithful in his Service Accordingly God said to Abraham That he would be his exceeding great reward Gen. 15.1 Thereby shewing that God would reward him for what he did and exceedingly above what he deserved So Christ is said to be the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory honour and immortality eternal life Rom. 2.7 Now tho' Abraham or any other cannot have whereof to glory before God yet they may rejoyce in that they have walked in sincere obedience to him whereby they at last become accepted of him as to have the reward of the Crown of life For whosoever renders their sincere obedience to God and Christ comes in as an heir to the promise of life For he shall have the righteousness of Christ imputed to him for his justification Acts 10.35 whilst others thro' their unwary walking go out of the way that God hath set them whereby they fall away and so lose that Crown which otherwise they might have had Rev. 3.11 and 2.10 And those that by their wary walking have kept the way tho' they have not to glory before God yet for their so doing they shall have praise of God 1 Cor. 4.5 And tho' St. Paul saith in the 7. v. Who maketh thee to differ
evidently manifest at the giving of the Law so the abundant pourings forth of the Spirit with signs and wonders was given for to confirm the Truth of the Gospel And as Israel and their Children were to retain the Laws of God which once they had received so the Gentiles and their Children were to retain the Doctrine of the Gospel that had been once so powerfully delivered which by the call of the Word and the good motions of the Spirit of God if they with diligence improved it would make them wise unto Salvation This Israel had and resisted for which they were condemned Acts 7.51 For as St. James saith c. 1. v. 25. Whosoever looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed And why is it called the perfect Law of Liberty Because it is an upright Rule in which is required Man's sincere obedience which when he sincerely yields himself to obey he is then by Christ's Righteousness set free from the condemning power of sin and death And whereas Christ saith No man can come to me except the Father draw him John 6.44 And this is the drawing of God his Word and his Spirit which we must be accountable for how we have improved our day and season of grace which so many thro' their sloth and negligence misimprove therefore 't is said Many are called but few chosen Mat. 20.16 But as to those of whom St. Paul speaks that were called Rom. 9.23,24 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory even us whom he hath called not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles These were they that were called according to the fore-determined Counsel of God for the greater grace and sufferings here the greater glory hereafter for these that he here saith were called of the Jews he speaks of that remnant that were called according to the election of grace which was to remain a standing Witness through the World and them that are here said to be called of the Gentiles were those of them that first bore their Testimony to the Gospel which were the Churches that first trusted in Christ these being prepared unto the glory which afterwards should be revealed which preparation was for the receiving of the Holy Ghost These are those of whom St. Paul saith Rom. 9.16 It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy That is in that God chose a remnant from among Israel to be his Witnesses through the World And also fore-appointed the first Churches according to the determined purpose of his own will that they should be made partakers of the Holy Ghost thereby to bear their Testimony for the confirmation of the Truth of the Gospel to the World and succeeding Generations So these being chosen according to the will of God for the greater grace and suffering here and the greater glory hereafter Ephes 1.12 That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ And again he saith of the first Churches Ephes 2.7 That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus And St. Peter saith to the first Churches 1 Pet. 4.12 Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery Tryal which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you Now tho' these were not afore chosen of God for their fore-seen willing and running yet when they were called in they were to will and run for the prize and so must all that will lay hold of the Crown of Life whether Elect or not Elect. For St. Paul saith So run that ye may obtain And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not Gal. 6.9 For though the standing Witness or Remnant were so secured in Christ as none should pluck them out of his hand for they are those which are said to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Rev. 14.4 yet the other Elect did not so securely stand Therefore St. Paul warns all Heb. 6.4,5,6 Heb. 10.26,29 2 Pet. 2 20. So likewise Prov. 21.16 But the man that wandreth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the Congregation of the dead That is as St. Paul saith such as have tasted the good Word of God and then wilfully depart from him shall remain in the Congregation of the dead But in that Solomon was forgiven it was for the Promise God made to David his Father concerning him which has now no reference to us as I have clearly proved in another Book where the standing Witness is treated of but hath another meaning than what hitherto we have apprehended of it St. Paul saith Acts 13.32,33 And we declare unto you glad tydings how that the promise which was made unto the Fathers God hath fulfilled the same to us their Children in that he hath raised up Jesus again as it is written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee That is if Christ had not again been raised from the dead the Promise could never have been fulfilled And whereas he saith in verse 34. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead no more to return to corruption he said on this wise I will give you the sure mercies of David Here the Apostle only repeats the words of Isaiah in that he saith God will give them the sure mercies of David not that the sure mercies of David were then given to all that did embrace the Faith but it is according as they hold out to the end they shall be made partakers of those sure mercies But at the Death and Resurrection of Christ was the price of that Redemption paid which was before promised of which the first Churches had then a pledge or fore-tast as the earnest of their Inheritance in that they had the renewing of the Holy Ghost shed on them abundantly Titus 3.5,6 whereby they generally stood and in Scripture the major part is reckoned for the whole and also amongst these Hebrews was the standing Witness and the Spirit was thus wonderfully given for the more security of their standing thereby to confirm the Truth of the Gospel These were they that were in a more peculiar manner ordained to Eternal Life being chosen of God according to the purpose he had before determined for them therefore had a particular calling And as they had the more Talents given them so they had the greater work to do and the greater difficulties to encounter with which they likewise were to perform that were to bear their Testimony to the Truth against all the Power of the Enemy But when the Gospel was established those that followed after had the call of the Word with the good motions of
not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this man's Religion is vain v. 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction and to keep themselves unspotted from the world Here we see St. James as well as St. Peter finds some that were willing to take up with an imaginary faith occasioned through the mistake of some of the sayings of St Paul Altho the same Apostle in such abundance of places doth so clearly explain himself by shewing what is required of them that are to be made partakers of the Crown of Righteousness as has been already proved And he also sheweth that good works is a foundation for us to build our hopes of Salvation upon as well as the merits of Christ 1 Tim. 6.17,18,19 And he also saith It is not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Rom. 2.13 And that we should give our Bodies a living Sacrifice which is our reasonable service Rom. 12.1 And also that we must maintain a continual warfare Eph. 6.11,12,13 And as we believe that God is so we are to believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 Now in all these places in which St. Paul writes plainly agreeable to the word of God and Christ the Prophets and Apostles we will not believe him in because they do not so well suit our inclinations But in those sayings of his which we have not understood him in we have placed our belief to the contradiction of himself and all the revealed will of God in his word And tho' St. Peter did forewarn us that in St. Paul's Epistles there were some things hard to be understood which then some did wrest to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 Yet we have not thereby taken warning but how we shall answer it before the great Judge which is just at hand we had need now to consider before it be too late Now the Churches that first trusted in Christ being more Eminently chosen and called of God and by the abundant shedding forth of the Holy Ghost upon them they generally stood But the following generations were but raised to that from which Israel fell And therefore by their miscarriage we had need take warning For the Apostle saith If God spared not the natural branches take heed lest he also spare not thee Rom. 11.21 And Oh! that it might be a sufficient warning to us Chap. XVII Shewing who are they that are condemned already And who it is that will find Redemption SAINT John saith Chap. 3.36 He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him This St. John spake of them that heard Christ and believed not on him The like the Lord saith of himself in the 18 verse He that believeth on me is not condemned but he that believed not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotton Son of God By these words it is plain that those that were condemned already were those that refused to believe in him And not that those were condemned for not believing in him who never heard of him For if so the Lord had then excluded all the first Churches who were then to be brought home by the preaching of the Gospel But we have falsly imagined from these and the like words as where the Lord said to his Disciples Mark 16.15,16 Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Which words has only a reference to such as believed and such as refused believing so as not to yield obedience to the truth when they heard it For according to the Commands of the Lord St. Paul saith The Gospel was preached to every Creature which is under heaven Col. 1.23 Now the Children did not fall under this condemnation because they were not capable of believing or not believing Neither do the Heathen now fall under this condemnation who know not the Gospel For none shall be damned for not believing that they never heard And whereas it is said 1 John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life These words do not exclude them that never heard of the Son so as none of them shall never receive life by the Son For there will be a Redemption in the world to come as will be fully proved in another Treatise And when Christ comes to judge the world and at the last and final Judgment they are all said to be judged according to their deeds done in the Body whether they have been good or evil And tho' in the parable of the Sheep and Goats there is but two sorts mentioned yet there is a third included in as much as the poor and the Children were not capable to be made partakers of the blessing or the curse in their doing or not doing good to the distressed Sheep of Christ And therefore the word all is not mentioned when he sentenced them to everlasting fire Matth. 25.41 And whereas Saint Paul saith To take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction 2 Thes 1.5,6,7,8,9 The word all he mentions not But he includes them that have the knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ yet in works deny him in that they will not yield obedience to him And the Apostle saith Rom. 3.19 That what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law So likewise what the Gospel saith it saith to them that are under the Gospel That is to them that have the Gospel and obey or refuse to obey the same To them accordingly doth the promised mercy or the threatned judgment belong And in the Gospel is required our obedience to the Moral Law And also he saith Rom. 2.11,12 There is no respect of persons with God For as many as have sinned without the Law shall also perish without the Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law By which we see the Heathens that have not the knowledge of God come not under the same Judgment or condemnation of the fiery indignation unto which the wicked Christians are condemned because the law and Gospel only speaks to them that are under it Neither did the Old world go into the fire of Hell And all being judged according to their works and according to their deeds done in the body whether they have been good or evil Therefore to them that has done no evil works there will be a general release when they are judged Therefore all Children will certainly be cleared Neither do all offenders fall under everlasting condemnation The which by God's assistance I
contrary Gen. 6.5,6 Jer. 18.8,9,10 Ezek. 18.22,23,24,25 And whereas St Paul saith Titus 1.2 In hopes of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began His meaning here was no other than that God promised eternal life before the world began in which they were to receive it Which world is the world to come in which all they that obey him are promised eternal life I have also fully proved by the word in another Treatise that is to come forth that it was after the fall of Adam that the decree was made that the entrance into life should be made strait and how that straitness doth consist Chap. XX Chosen from the foundation and before the foundation explained I Have in the fore-mentioned Book by the word fully proved what is meant by being Chosen from the foundation of the world And also proved that in the word there is mention made of three evers three times three generations three worlds and that there was none chosen before the foundation of the material Heavens and Earth That these three worlds spoken of in Scripture are three worlds of people First that which sprang from Adam Secondly that which sprang from the Seed of Noah And thirdly That the foundation of the world to come was laid in the seed of Abraham when God brought them out of Aegypt and laid them for the foundation of the world to come For all that comes in Heirs to that world comes in as the Seed of Abraham from the foundation of which world was Christ figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb. And from that foundation of the world was the works of those unbelieving Jews finished when they thro' their unbelief refused to go to fight for the land of Canaan therefore were condemned to die in the wilderness from 20 years old and upward save Caleb and Joshua And then after this miscarriage God elected and secured a remnant in Christ of that foundation which was then a laying in Israel for the world to come But for Israel's miscarriage God did likewise elect and make choice of the first Gentile Churches to partake of the Holy Ghost and God chose them before the body of Israel which were the foundation of the world to come And therefore the Apostle Paul saith They were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world That is before the body of Israel who were the foundation of the World to come And this not as to matter of time but as to matter of choice and liking in God rather to appoint and make choice of them that ignorantly offend him to call them in by a particular calling and give to them with the remnant the Holy Ghost that they thereby might bear their testimony to the world of the truth of the Gospel rather than those of Israel that did wilfully rebel and would not be a light to the world All these things are fully and clearly proved in the other Treatise with the hardning of Pharaoh's heart And what it was God hardned him in Shewing that it was not in sin and cruelty but for his sin and cruelty God hardened him in unbelief so as he should not believe the miracles done by Moses to come from God And therefore he followed them into the Red Sea where he and his Army were destroyed And therein also is shewed what is the meaning of being before of old ordained to this condemnation Now there was none of the Apostles that were Scholars but St. Paul And to understand some part of his Epistles has been more difficult than all the writings of the rest of the Apostles And according to the saying of St. Peter many poor Souls have wrested them to their own Destruction Chap. XXI The Call to the Eternal Inheritance explained ST Paul saith Heb. 9.15,16 That they which are called might receive the promise of the eternal Inheritance This he does not only speak of them that had the peculiar calling as the remnant chosen from among Israel and of the first Gentile Churches which were likewise chosen to bear their Testimony to the truth But these words had also a reference to all Israel who were all called and unto whom the promises belong'd and to their Children So the promises belonged to them that were called of the Gentile Churches and their Children And unto all to whom the word of God shall come accompanied with the good motions of the Spirit of God to them likewise does the promise of the Eternal Inheritance belong if they according to the condition as it is tendred will lay hold of it And whosoever continues faithful shall at the end have the fruition of the eternal inheritance that was promised upon those conditions Acts 10.35 For in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him And it was the Gentile Nations that Abraham had the promise from God to be Father to Rom. 4.17 And when the Gentile Nations were called in it was then God made good his word to Abraham and then did the promise belong to them and their Children as it did to Israel and their Children So as they might receive the promise of the Eternal Inheritance upon the conditions offered Now the first Gentile Churches were not only called that they might receive the promise of the Eternal Inheritance but they had also the Holy Ghost given to them as the earnest of that Inheritance which afterwards they should receive if they did not disinherit themselves And to their Children that followed after them did the promise of the Eternal Inheritance belong But at the time that any Nation or people have not the Gospel at that time they have not the call At which time the promise of Eternal Inheritance belongs not to them Yet they are not excluded all mercy But where the word of God is as the call thereof is rightly understood there it is where the eternal Life may be laid hold on But such as by often sinning have caused God to withdraw the good motions of his Spirit from them they are thereby left to blindness of mind And as God was with the natural Seed of Abraham till they by often sinning caused him to withdraw from them So God was with the Nations of the adopted Seed of Abraham till such time as by often sinning they caused God to with-draw from them and leave them to strong delusions to believe lies 2 Thess 2.10,11,12 Chap. XXII The Gifts and Callings of God explained ST Paul saith Rom. 11.29 The Gifts and Callings of God are without Repentance That is according to the conditions upon which God calls them they are without Repentance from him But by the disobedience of many that have been called the call has proved uneffectual to them to the saving of their Souls Therefore St. Paul saith He kept under his body lest that by any means when he had preached to others he himself should be a cast-away 1 Cor. 9.27 And he never declared himself to be sure
of the Crown of righteousness till at his departure when the end had crown'd his work 2 Tim. 4 7,8 Neither was the Crown of life any otherwise promised But the Apostle in this place had his reference to the general Callings as of Israel and the Gentile Churches But more peculiarly to the time when Israel will again be called in at the time of the Restitution of all things For when the Lord comes again to Zion it is then he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob Rom. 11.25,26 And then it is God will see no iniquity in Jacob when he hath purged all iniquity from them For they are the elect unto whose persons the promise is made to as Rom 11.28 For they are beloved for their Fathers sake And then the believer in Christ will partake with them of the Eternal Inheritance that is but in this time promised Unto which Inheritance the persons of the first Gentile Churches were chosen and had given them the Holy Ghost as the earnest of that Inheritance which they should be heirs to world without end if they did not disinherit themselves For the Seed that is in Christ and Isaac is them that have the Spirit of Christ and them that have a mind and will brought into Subjection unto the mind and will of Christ without which they are none of his Rom. 8.9,14 But when Israel is restored God will give them one heart and one way that they may fear him for ever Jer. 32.39 for the good of them and their Children after them Chap XXIII Adding to the Church and ordaining to Eternal Life explained And Christ dying for the world ST Peter said to the Jews Acts 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved This he said to the Jews because the generality of them were excluded the then mercy so that such of them as were not left to blindness were daily added to the Church For Christ in Zion was laid as a stumbling stone And as for those Gentiles that were ordained to eternal Life they were called in by the convincing power of the Spirit which went with the word of the Disciples whereby they did yield their assent to be obedient to the truth which they no sooner did but God justified them by his grace and glorified them by his giving to them the Holy Ghost to be in them whereby he did abound to them in all wisdom and prudence and in divers miracles and gifts This is that in which God did manifest himself to them as he did not unto the world These are they which Christ prayed for with his Disciples that should believe in him thro' their word Which was by the word preached by the mouth of the Disciples by whom the first Churches were gathered For the word of God and Christ was never term'd the word of the Disciples But the first Churches receiving the word from the mouth of the Disciples therefore said by Christ to believe in him thro' their word But when the Holy Ghost was shed forth abundantly on the first Churches then the Holy Ghost became an evident witness to the world that God had sent Christ So as the world did not believe thro' the Word of the Disciples but through the convincing signs and wonders and mighty power of the Spirit of God that was seen amongst the Churches The which did bear witness it was the word of God that was taught amongst them For had we had no other witness than the word of a few Disciples that Christ was the Son of God there had been little reason for the world to have believed it But the visible witness of the Holy Ghost bearing witness to the truth of what the Disciples taught was the convincing argument to the world that God had sent Christ as thereby they might take hold of the offered mercy by him on the condition as it is tendred And if we are found in our duty according to the capacity God has put us in we then shall not want his assistance to enable us to do that which he requires of us But as for the Disciples and first Churches Christ in a particular manner prayed for as he did not for the world John 17.21 That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they all may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me Now whereas the Lord saith that they may be one in us That was in that they were made partakers of the Holy Ghost which both them that were first given to Christ of the Father and the first Churches that should believe in him thro' their word received from the mouth of the Disciples were also partakers of that one Spirit with God and Christ and thereby became one with them in being united by one Spirit For the Spirit that was before with the Disciples was given to be in them John 14.17 That they should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ Eph. 1.12 And this was evident to the world when the Holy Ghost was thus given And the Lord here prayed that by this clear manifestation to the world the world might believe that God had sent him For when the world believed that God had sent Christ by the Convincing Signs and wonders miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost that was then given part of the world embraced the Faith as St Paul declareth and the word brought forth fruit in them as it did in the Church of Collosse Chap. 1.6 For according to the Command of Christ The Gospel was preached to every Creature under Heaven Col. 1.23 And by the mighty signs and wonders that accompanied the Word they were under a conviction that Christ was the Son of God And then there was a power in them to go to him for the offered mercy But when God for sin withdraws from a Person People or Nation he then leaves them to blindness as he did Israel and Christ so died for the World that all that have not disinherited themselves will reap benefit by it Now the first Churches were as a Candle lighted up by the Lord to enlighten the World who lay in Wickednesss and Darkness And they being to withstand all the fury of the Enemy at the Publication of the Gospel Therefore they had so great a portion of the Spirit given them And it was them whom the Disciples taught that received the Word from their mouth and so believed in Christ thro' their Word to whom Christ made these promises Mark 16.15,16,17 Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature And these signs shall follow them that believe In my Name shall they cast out Devils They shall speak with new Tongues they shall take up Serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them They shall lay hands on the Sick and they shall recover By these words we see nothing can be more plain than
that Christ spake this of the then time and of them that should believe in him through the Word of the Disciples as received from their mouth For this Christ spake of the remnant and first Churches unto whom the Holy Ghost was given to be in them and of whom St John saith Ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things and is true and is no lie 1 John 2.27 This the Apostle speaks of them who had the Holy Ghost given to be in them they needed no other teaching but as the same anointing taught them But some not obeying the Spirits teaching went out from them that was not of that remnant as in the 19v But the Holy Ghost was not given to any till they were first brought home by the Call of the Word to yield their consent to the tender of his Grace as to turn from every evil way For the Holy Ghost could not be received into an unclean Heart And the Holy Ghost was then given that thereby the world might believe that God had sent Christ And also St. Paul of the then time saith That God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing to them their Trespasses 2 Cor. 5.19 That is not laying their past sins to the charge of them that laid hold of the tender of his Grace So as none need fear if they are not Elected they shall not be accepted And after the Nations of the World had embraced the Faith the Lord continued a standing Witness amongst them always to bear their Testimony to the Truth of the Gospel And they are they that lie in the street of the Great City And when the Gentile Nations fell away as Israel did they remained to bear their Testimony to the truth against all the fury of the Antichristian Enemy And when we come rightly to understand who were the Servants to whom Christ delivered the Talents none will then think that the Fountain of all Wisdom and Reason carries on his works according to the Council of his own Will guided with out Reason All these things that I have now hinted will by God's assistance be fully and clearly proved in a short time And let us not deceive our selves by a false Faith or an imaginary Election For the Elect that lie in the Street of the great City and cry day and night unto God by reason of the Oppression of the Enemy we are not And as for the Elect that are to be gathered from the four Winds we have not apprehended who they are and they will appear to be them that we are little aware of as will be proved in the next Treatise In which will be the signs of the times The coming of the Lord The Calling in of Israel The Destruction of Babylon And the Restitution of all things clearly made evident by the word Therefore we had need look to it how we stand as believers lest we should have believed in vain for the Lord is at hand who will judge us according to our deeds and according as our Works have been Now the Lord of his mercy causing the true meaning of his Word to break forth for the vindication of his Justice and for the exaltation of his mercy let us therefore prepare for his coming and unite to serve the Lord with one consent and be found of him in peace St. Paul saith upon the first publication of the Gospel How shall they hear without a Preacher And how shall they preach except they be sent Rom. 10.14,15 For the first Publishers of the Gospel were sent forth by the Lord and instructed by him what to teach But when the Gospel was establisht then the Apostle said Gal. 6.16 And as many as walk according to this Rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God And then they were not to wait for new Calls but to walk according to the Rule that was set before them lest they should be cast off again as Israel was For God by his word continually calls upon us to walk in obedience to him But such as refuse to obey are the ground bearing Thorns and Briers which is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Heb. 6. verse 8. Mat. 16.24,25,26,27 Mat. 3.10 But the offer of mercy is to whomsoever will that they may come and take the waters of life freely Rev. 22.17 That is If they are willing to yield subjection to his laws then they may freely come For every one that thirsteth are invited to the waters and they that have no money may buy and eat without money and without price Isa 55.1 So as the poor are not excluded for want of money nor the Gentile sinners upon the publication of the Gospel were not excluded for want of Righteousness if they did thirst after it For the Righteousness of Christ was imputed for the Justification of any that were willing for the future to render their sincere obedience to him For it was their past sins that were committed before their conversion which were remitted Rom. 3.25 But as the Psalmist saith let them not turn again to folly Ps 85.8 And tho' the remnant and first Churches were not fore chosen for their willing and running Yet the Crown of Life was to be attained by their willing and running And so it is by all that will lay hold on it But when the Gentile Nations cme to have no love to the truth then God left them to strong delusions that they might be damned 2 Thes 2.10,11,12 And Oh! that this may be a warning to us that we may receive the knowledge of the truth in the love thereof that our Souls may be saved in the day of the Lord. For we are not only to believe in him but also to suffer for his sake Phil. 1.29 For this was the determined counsel of God that seeing he was to part with the Son of his love to suffer for sinners that such as would not in this time deny themselves for him should in time to come suffer by him Mar. 8.34,35,36,37,38 Luke 19.27 But we having lost the ancient way of Scripture speaking and the right apprehension of the Kingdom that is to come and mistakingly taking all that was said to the first Churches and all that was said as relating to Israel at the time of the Restitution of all things as tho' they now belong'd to us by reason of which weare involved in great and dangerous mistakes GOD Bless King William and in these times make him more blessed in Conquering of Hearts than Nations by the incouraging and promoting the Knowledge of the truth For the door of mercy is open to all that will lay hold of the tender of his Grace So as none need fear that if they are not elected they shall not be accepted For Christ saith Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him Come And we may with confidence rely uon his Word for he is faithful
they shall never depart from him Jer. 32.40 But we not understanding aright this Kingdom or World to come which has been the causes of turning the plain word of God in the old Testament into figurative Speeches and thereby made the Oath and Promise of God to Israel void Of which St. Peter exhorts the Church to take heed to the sure Word of Prophecy as unto a light that shineth in a dark place 2 Peter 1.19 Chap. XI Where the Great Glory of the Lord will be when he comes to deliver his people WHEN the Lord again comes to deliver his People his infinite glory will then again be in the Clouds in which will be those glorious mansions into which he will receive his raised Saints John 14.2,3 and there will be that Tabernacle which the Lord shall pitch and not man Heb 8.2 which will be over the Land of Canaan from whence he will descend to Mount Olivet and also from the Tabernacle he will descend upon Mount Zion and there will he Make the place of his feet glorious Isa 60.13 For as the Lord formerly descended down in a Cloud into the Tabernacle Exod. 40.34 So the Lord will again descend upon Mount Zion And as the Lord was over Israel in the Clouds when Pharaoh was drowned in the Sea Exod. 14.19,20,24 So again the Lord will be in the Clouds when the Beast and false Prophet shall be taken alive and cast into a lake of fire burning with Brimstone Rev. 19.20 And as the King of Aegypt and Babylon with all their Prognosticators and Diviners could not by them have any knowledge of their near approaching ruine So will it be with those in our days for they will not foresee the near approaching pressedness or misery according to the word of the Lord Isa 44.25 The Lord frustrateth the Tokens of liars and maketh Diviners mad that turneth wise men backward and maketh their Knowledge foolishness This will again be alike at the time of Jacobs deliverance And it is said of Christ in Isa 64.1 Oh that thou wouldest rent the Heavens that thou wouldest come down that the Mountains might flow down at thy presence V. 4. For since the beginning of the World men have not heard neither perceived by the Ear neither hath the eye seen O God! besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him 1 Cor. 2.9 Psalm 31.19 And oh that there might be many amongst us and elsewhere found such as are true waiters for him so as thereby to become the blessed of the Lord and not found as the fruitless Fig-tree which of the Lord received the curse Chap. XII The Fruitless Fig-Tree MARK 11.13 And Jesus seeing a Fig-tree afar off having leaves he came if haply he might find any thing thereon and when he came to it he found nothing but leaves for the time of figs was not yet This Fig-tree was the representative of the body or generality of Israel on whom the Lord when he came found nothing but leaves only The which was only an outward shew and Form of Religion having nothing of real holiness and of upright walking amongst them as in Matth. 23.23,24,25,26.27,28 For tho' the time of ripe fruit as Figs were not yet yet there might have been green Fruit as sincerity and an upright and holy conversation But as for Israel's bearing ripe fruit it was not to be in this time but in the time to come after the ever of this time is past and gone Then it is they will be made partakers of the continual fresh springs of the Spirit of God which is drinking of the River of his pleasures Psal 36.8 For then they will have an Inherent perfect righteousness and that secured by the establishing of that now-promised new-everlasting Covenant which will crown Life to the Soul Isa 45.17 But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting Salvation ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end For the everlasting covenant when established and the Crown of Life is one and the same thing only two ways worded And the Believer comes in by Christ as Heir to that promised Covenant Gal. 3.28,29 Eph. 2.12 But the Believer in Christ is no longer a Believer than he believes Salvation is to be had according to the tenour of the Gospel which is in the way of our love and obedience no more than a Righteous man is a Righteous man in the day that he comitteth iniquity Ezek. 33.13 Chap. XIII Concerning the Remnant and first Churches and also the World BUT whereas the remnant and first Churches were fore chosen of God according to the Counsel of his own will for the purpose he had determined for them which was to bear their Testimony to the truth and for the glory that should follow And tho' they were not thus fore-chosen for their fore-seen willing and running yet afterward when they had embraced the Faith they were to run for the price for the hopes sake that was set before them which is the Crown of Life which was to be obtained by their willing and running by which way it is to be attained by all that will lay hold on it For when the Gospel was establisht we that followed after were to take to the way and keep the Rule set before us Heb. 2.2,3,4 And the Lord will be with us in his way and never forsake any while they keep his way by walking in a holy and upright Conversation And all that know the Lord by the Gospel should go to him for strength for he hath promised his assistance Now after the world was convinced that Christ was the Son of God they were put into a capacity of obedience as many as have the call of the word and the good motions of the Spirit of God therefore if afterward they miscarried it was thro' their own negligence and barrenness of the Soil into which the Seed of the word was cast according to the Parable of the Lord Ma. 13.20,21 which brought forth Fruit for a time and afterward withered away For when the Lord had laid the World under a Conviction by the which means it was part of the world embraced the Faith and brought forth Fruit according as it did in the Church of Golosse Col. 1.6 And the Lord laid Israel under a conviction when he shewed them his glory in the Wilderness and gave to them his Laws and Statutes Exod. 19.9,16,18 And when God would have healed Babylon it was by bringing her under a conviction in pulling her great Monarch down from his Throne and making him eat Grass like the Oxen till his hairs became like Eagles feathers and his Nails like Birds Claws and he made to acknwledge to all Nations that the Great God of Heaven ruleth over the Children of men Dan. 4. â—3 ch 3.29 Now when God hath convinced his Creatures he takes delight to see them improve that rational understanding that he hath given them to their Souls advantage and then it
foundation of the World to come for all that come in as Heirs to that World come in as the Seed of Abraham and from that foundation Christ was figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb and from that foundation were the works of those unbelieving Jews finished that fell in the Wilderness when they refused to go to fight for the Land of Canaan And because of Israel's miscarriage the first Gentile Churches were chosen to partake of the Holy Ghost and to bear their Testimony to the Truth the which are said to be chosen before the foundation of the World which foundation was Israel the which choice was not before them as to matter of time but as to matter of choice and liking in God rather to make choice of them that should ignorantly offend him than them that had wilfully disobeyed him And I also have proved that the Eternal Purpose has only a relation to the Eternity that lies before us that the being chosen from the beginning was no other than from the beginning of the Preaching of the Gospel And I have also proved that the Decree was made that the Entrances into Life should be made strait after Adam fell and how that straitness doth consist And what is meant by being of old ordained to this condemnation And also I have proved in the Book in which the Faith of Abraham is explained that them of the World embraced the Faith in the Apostles time and brought forth fruit as it did in the Elect Churches All these things I have made clear which hitherto we have not rightly understood which makes me the oftener recite them These things being proved it makes it evident that there was none Elected from the foundation but the remnant And also the first Gentile Churches that were afterward Elected were long departed this life before the Beast arose so as there was none of them then to be deceived by him Now there is also a twofold way of being in the Book of Life First They that have their names there Secondly Those that have a part therein and it is those that have their names there that are Elected and fore-chosen And after the first Gentile Churches were called in their Children were taken into Covenant and a Door of Mercy set open to all such as would take hold of the offer of Life according as it is tendered by Christ Now if these have not their names put into the Book of Life when they are taken into Covenant yet they have their part in the Book of Life in performing the conditions upon which Life is offered by Christ for those he will justifie by his Righteousness Heb. 5.9 The which name or part in the Book of Life may not only be lost through negligence and prophaneness but by adding or diminishing from the Word Rev. 22.19 Deut. 4.2 And there are others also that have a part in the Book of Life which will find Redemption in the World to come for they were such as received not the Truth in the love of it but took pleasure in unrighteousness that the Apostle saith should be damned 2 Thes 2.12 And they were such as heard the Truth and would not believe to obey it that the Lord gave Sentence against But those that have had a longing desire after the Truth and such as have not taken pleasure in unrighteousness such will find Redemption in the World to come And no young Children can take pleasure in iniquity Therefore when all come to be judged according to their works such will be cleared Rom. 2.14,15 Rev. 20.12 But I shall not here insist upon this Subject because I intend hereafter fully to prove it But by what the Lord saith it is of dangerous consequence to take from the Word as well as to add unto it Now the Gentile Christians when they came to have no love to the Truth whereby they might be saved but on the contrary took pleasure in iniquity God gave them up to worship the Beast for when they would not be bound with the Cords of his Laws and follow him in Love Patience and Humility in expectation of the reward of the Crown of Life when the Lord again shall come then it was God permitted the Prince of Darkness to set up his pretended Kingdom by which delusion they also lost the apprehension of the glorious Kingdom of Christ which is now to come and is very nigh at hand which Kingdom has been foretold by all the Prophets sworn to by God himself Psal 89.2 declared by the Apostles And because the Lord Christ spake but in dark Sentences and Parables when he was upon the Earth because that Israel being sinful thereby might be blinded Therefore he declared in Vision to St. John how he would come and of the glory of the New Jerusalem that should come down from Heaven and of his reigning Power here upon the Earth Also annexing those great threatnings mentioned Rev. 22.18,19 to any that should add or diminish to the words of this Prophecy Now all the Gentile Christians thus falling into delusion so as when any of them come out of that darkness by the knowledge of the Word it was evident to them they could not be of that remnant that should never be deceived by reason themselves knew that they or their Predecessors had been deceived by the Beast but as to that Remnant Church or People that the Word does thus bear witness to I shall not here speak further of but hereafter by God's assistance I shall declare who the Two Witnesses are and then I shall make appear who this Church and People and Remnant are to whom the Word doth thus bear witness to and they to the Word Whilst on the contrary the Apostate Church or great Harlot bear not witness to the Word nor the Word to her any otherwise than to her condemnation And our Predecessors being all involved in that darkness whereby we have lost the true sentiments of the Word and so mistakingly taking all that was said to the first Churches and to Israel at the restitution of all things as tho' they now belonged to us the which is of dangerous consequence and whereby many like Ephraim have a care they fall not into the snare as Israel did for when the Lord first came he coming not of a Person of Dignity but of one of no Estate in this World This proved a snare to Israel Let us take warning by them and not neglect the owning of the truth for if we do we shall be taken in the snare as they were for the day of the Lord will come as a snare upon all them that will not prepare for him and take the warning given by him by the signs and the opening of the word as he hath declared and now made them manifest to the world Chap. XVI The difference between the State of the Elect in this time and of that which is to come NOW when God does Elect or fore-chuse any Person or persons
precepts of men Is not this like building on the Sand of which the Lord speaks in Matth. Where he saith in the 26. v. Mat. 7.26,27 Every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand and whom the Lord forewarns that their building shall not stand in the day of trial And the Lord also saith in 21. v. Mat. 1.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven And also St. James saith Jam. 1.22 But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves And he farther saith Jam. 2.20,21,22 But wilt thou know O vain Man that faith without works is dead was not Abraham our Father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar seest thou how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect So the Lord saith unto Esdras in the 7. v. 2 Esd 9.7,8 And every one that shall be saved and shall be able to escape by his works and by faith whereby ye have believed shall be preserved from the said perils and shall see my salvation in my land and within my borders And in Matth. 20. Mat. 20.2,4,6,7 The Lord did not call any into his Vineyard without putting them to work therein And in Matth. 26.41 The Lord bids them watch and pray that they enter not into temptation And St. Peter bids us 1 Pet. 5.8 Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour Therefore we had need watch continually over our own hearts thoughts words and works For the evil one in all our ways does lay traps nets and gins to insnare us Therefore St. Paul bids us Eph. 6.11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand Stand therefore having your loyns girt about with truth and having on the breast-plate of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace Above all taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints Praying always that is praying dayly Which is as if any one gives us our dayly food as long as we live we say that they continually give us our food Praying all Prayer That is upon all occasions for our selves and for the Saints and for all Men that have not excluded themselves from his mercy And St. John tells us 1 John 2.4,5 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him But whoso keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him That is if our wills are brought over to be truly obedient and if so there will not want an earnest endeavour to persevere in a holy life Which is unlike those that Paul to Titus speaks of That Tit. 1.16 profess that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate How think you it will then prove with such in the great day For St. Paul saith 2 Thes 1.7,8,9 When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power I hope this dreadful sentence will awaken many sleeping Christians before it is too late Therefore to day whilst it is called to day harden not your hearts but make preparation for the Bridegroom of your Souls Now as to what St. Paul saith Rom. 9.30 What shall we say then that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness even the righteousness which is of faith That is the Gentiles that were first brought home to Christ by the call of the Gospel no sooner savingly believed in the Lord Jesus as to accept him as he is tendred in the Gospel but the righteousness of Christ is imputed to them as though they had never sinned For St. Paul saith That Col. 2.10,11 ye are complete in him which is the head of all principality and power In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the â—…ns of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. And again he saith Eph. 2.10 For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Now whereas he â—aith that they were created in Christ Jesus to good works That is they are â—o sooner taken into mercy but that the â—ghteousness of Christ is imputed to â—hem whereby they appear in the sight â—f God as though they had never sinned â—…om their Creation But when he told â—hem they were created in Christ Jesus to good works you see also in the same ver he tells them that God had ordained that they should walk in them And he saith likewise Col. 2.6,7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as ye have been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving And he saith farther Col. 3.1,2,3,4,5,6 If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Set your affections on things above and not on things on the earth For ye are dead and your life is had with Christ in God When Christ who is your life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is Idolatry For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the Children of disobedience For we are not only to shun the doing evil but we must also learn to do well And whereas the Apostle saith Rom. 9.31,32 But Israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness
we have in our new Translation turned into Charity which in the old is Love for Charity will not sufficiently explain the meaning of the word Therefore it is said in the 3. v. Though I bestow all my Goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing That is if we have not Love for Love cannot be without Charity but Charity may be without Love for we may be Charitable by the way of Merit thinking to purchase Heaven by it and that will not do But if we are without Charity in the way of our Duty and Love in the fellow feeling of one anothers sufferings then is not the Love of God in us For St. John saith in the 3. chap. 17. v. But whosoever hath this world's goods and seeth his Brother have need and shutteth up his bowels of Compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him 18. v. My little Children let us not Love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth And St. James saith in the 1.17 Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Afflictions and to keep himself unspotted from the World And he saith in the 2. c. 13. v. For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy and mercy rejoyceth against Judgment 14. v. For what doth it profit my brethren tho a man say he hath Faith and have not Works can Faith save him 15. v. If a Brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily Food 16. v. And one of you say unto them depart in Peace be you warmed and filled Notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the Body what doth it profit 17. v. Even so Faith if it hath not works is dead being alone We are not here now to wait for new Calls but to improve the Talent that God hath given us in that we have his word the good motions of his Spirit and the Checks of Conscience the which Talents well improved will bring us to Eternal Blessedness for if we take to the rule which he hath set before us and according thereunto beg his continual Assistance God will then never be wanting to us And St. Paul saith of the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.15 That from a Child thou hast known the Scriptures which is able to make thee wise to Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus By which the Promise is obtainable for as there is an absolute Election of whom it is said their Names was Written in Heaven from the Foundation So there is a conditional Election and us a Day of Grace Therefore as the Apostle saith having a promise of entring into his Rest let us fear lest we should fall short of it Therefore let us up and be doing that thereby we may make our Calling and Election sure for we are not of that number that are chose to be his standing Witnesses thro' the World and therefore may fall away the which I have clearly proved by the word where I have spoken of Election Of Baptism AND whereas St. Paul saith Gal. 3.27 For as many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ The which is meant 〈◊〉 the Spiritual Baptism whereby they become conformable to Christ as in Rom. 8.9,10 Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is Life because of Righteousness But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the Dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you The which indwelling of his Spirit is this Spiritual Baptism Now with the Spiritual Baptism there is joyned a sign or Seal the which is the outward Baptism of Washing or Plunging So as to be buried under the Water and therefore said buried with him in Baptism for as Christ was underneath the Earth so we should be plunged under the Water the which doth also signify to us that we should be Spiritually Dead to the World as having no delight in it or to it Now the Children of believing Parents are said to be Holy therefore fit to receive this sign of Baptism and they also being in Covenant as well as their Parents And by the Blood of Christ it is that both are made partakers of the Promises but to any that are of Maturity and not Believers the which Belief is such as brings our Wills over into a conformity to the will of God then Christ dwells in us by his Spirit and then are we Spiritually Baptised And if the outward sign and Seal is fixt on them that within them is not sound the thing signified It is but like a Seal to a blank Bond For St. Paul saith Rom. 2.28 For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh 29. But he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of Men but of God Now Children are innocent as to any actual Sin and if they come of believing Parents are said to be Holy and so fit to be Baptised and the Covenant of God made by Moses was as well made with Children as with those of Maturity Of the Trinity THe meaning of the Trinity is this That the Infinite God consists of three Glorious Beings or Persons as God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost and these three to be one God being of one Will one Mind one Power one Glory this being the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity which was from all Eternity and so continues to all Eternity the only true God blessed for ever more Amen Heb. 1.3,8 John 5.21,22,23 1 John 5.20 Col. 1.15,16,17 John 1.3 Acts 5.3,4 Wisd 7.24,25,26,27 Let us all learn to know God in Christ Christ in Faith by an Holy reliance upon him and a self Resignation of our Wills and affections to him and to know our Faith by good works and so to know the Will of God as to do it and before the knowledg of all other things we should learn to know our selves Whereas it is said in 1 John 5.7,8 that the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost are One so it is said the Spirit the Water and the Blood a gree in one as to the renewing of a sinner the Spirit of the Lord doth again Renew us the Water in Baptism washeth us and the Blood of Christ 't is that Justifies us if we take hold of the tender of his Grace according to the condition as it is offered And again the Spirit the Water and
Nourish thy Children O thou good Nurse stablish their feet That is pray for them instruct them exhort them reprove them rebuke and chastise them For the Lord saith in the 2 of Esdras 9.11 They that have loathed my Law while they had yet liberty And when as yet place of repentance was open unto them understood not but despised it V. 12. The same must know it after death by pain And Eby for not Chastising his Sons but onely reproving them therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against him 1 Sam. 2.30 Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever but now the Lord saith be it far from me for them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed V. 31. Behold the day is come that I will cut off thine arm and the arm of thy fathers house that there shall not be an old man in thine house Here we see it was sin that did disappoint them of a promised blessing And also the good King Josiah did forfeit his Temporal promised blessing the which was That he should die in peace But he unadvisedly went out to Fight with the King of Egypt when he was forewarn'd by the same King from the Lord to forbear as is said in Chron. 34.27 Because thine Heart was tender and thou didst humble thy self before God when thou heardest his words against this place and against the Inhabitants thereof and humblest thy self before me and didest rend thy Clothes and weep before me I have even heard thee also saith the Lord. 28. Behold I will gather thee to thy Fathers and thou shalt be gathered to the grave in peace neither shall thine Eyes see all the Evil that I will bring upon this place and upon the inhabitants of the same Now in the 2 Chron. 35.20 It is said that he went out to Fight against the King of Egypt 21. But he sent Embassadors to him saying what have I to do with thee thou King of Judah I come not against thee this day but against the House wherewith I have war for God commanded me to make hast forbear thee from medling with God who is with me that he destroy thee not 22. Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him but disguised himself that he might Fight with him and hearkned not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God and came to Fight in the Valley of Megiddo 23. And the Archers shot at King Josiah and the King said to his servants have me away for I am sore wounded of which he dyed And also St. Paul in Acts 27.22 saith to them that were in the Ship And now I exhort you to be of good cheer for there shall be no loss of any mans Life among you but of the Ship 23. For there stood by me this night the Angel of God whose I am and whom I serve 24. Saying fear not Paul thou must be brought before Caesar and lo God hath given thee all them that sail with thee 25. Wherefore Sirs be of good cheer for I believe God that it shall be even as it was told me Now when the Ship-men were going to make their escape out of the Ship St. Paul in the 31. v. saith to the Centurian and to the Soldiers except these abide in the Ship you cannot be saved Now all these things are set down for our Instruction and Example and to admonish us that through our own default we may miss of the Promised blessing For we must take to the way and use the means or else the blessing promised is not attainable Therefore St. Paul saith Heb. 4.1 Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it All these things being fair warning that as the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 1.10 We should use all diligence to make our calling and election sure And St. Paul saith Rom. 11.7 What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the Election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded Wherefore were they blinded Because they hardned themselves in disobedience unto God as I before shewed you Now there is a threefold hardness of Heart First There is a natural hardness or unbelief Secondly There is a wilful hardness or unbelief that is when we wilfully harden our selves against God and his word And then it is that God gives them up to a judicial hardness of Heart and blindness of mind Therefore the Lord saith in Isa 65.2 The which place is also mentioned by St. Paul in Rom. 10.21 But to Israel he saith I have spread out my hand all the day unto a rebellious People which walked in a way that was not good after their own thoughts And in Rom. 11.11,8 he saith According as it is written God hath given them the Spirit of Slumber Eyes that they should not see and Ears that they should not hear unto this day That is as I before shewed you in Isa 6.9 The which Judgment was pronounced against rhem by reason of their great wickedness the which is set down in the foregoing chap. of Isaiah to which I have already spoken and therefore shall here pass it by But as for the other quotation that is put down in the margin which is Isa 29.10 The which is not meant by St. Paul because that place hath its special reference to the Christians by reason from the 5. v. downward it treats of the Destruction of the World and Israel's Enemies the which is said to be at an instant suddenly that is when the Lord cometh At which time also there will be a great stupidness upon the Relapsed Christians occasioned by their sin of which St. Paul saith 2 Thes 2.10 Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved 11. And for this cause God sent them strong delusions that they should believe a lie 12. That they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness For as I before shewed it is said in Rev. 13.2 That the Devil gave the Beast his Power of whom came strong Delusions so as they believed Lies Besides all the other Delusions that the Devil has sent abroad in the World the which God suffers to take with them that have no love to the Truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness The which makes sin exceeding finful By which we are also shewn that the day of Grace and the day of Life hath not one and the same period That is that the day of Grace may be taken away long before our natural Life is Ended Of which the Apostle saith Heb. 3.7 Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith to day if you will hear his Voice 8. Harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness 9. When your Fathers tempted me proved
to himself Herein is not comprehended how God doth deal with some particular persons but to the general carrying on of the Church in the World Now whereas St. Paul saith in Rom. 3,9 For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin 10. v. As it is written there is none Righteous no not one And he faith in Eph. 2.3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in time past in the lust of the Flesh fulfilling the desires of the Flesh and of the mind and were by Nature the Children of wrath even as others Tho through sin both Jews and Gentiles are all of them fallen under the Curse and so the wrath of God yet our natures are not alike estrang'd from God Now in Acts 18.9,10 Spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a Vision be not afraid but speak and hold not thy peace 10. v. For I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee for I have much people in this City That is People or much ground capable to receive Seed so as to bring forth Fruit. And as there is several sorts of ground so the Lord tells us there is two sorts of Seed But not that God did Reprobate Man before the Foundation of the material heavens and Earth to Damnation but that the Devil hath since so twisted himself into the Nature of great part of Mankind that he is as it were become one with them Therefore the Lord put forth Matt. 13.24 Another Parable unto them saying the Kingdom of Heaven is likned unto a Man which sowed good Seed in his Field 25. v. But while men slept his Enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way 26. v. But when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit then appeared the Tares also 27. v. So the Servants of the Housholder came and said unto him Sir didst not thou sow good seed in thy Field from whence then hath it Tares 28. v. He said unto them an enemy hath done this The Servants said unto him wilt thou then that we go and gather them up 29. v. But he said nay lest while ye gather up the tares ye root up also the wheat with them 30. v. Let both grow together until the Harvest and in time of Harvest I will say to the Reapers gather ye together first the Tares and bind them into bundles to burn them but gather the wheat into my barn Here is a clear demonstration that the Tares are a false Seed of the Devils sowing And the Lord speaks of them in Isa 57.3 But draw near hither ye Sons of the Sorcerers the Seed of the Adulterer and the Whore 4. v. Against whom do ye sport your selves against whom make ye a wide mouth and draw out the tongue are ye not Children of Transgression a seed of Falshood Here we see that a false Seed comes in much this way and what is here spoken of by the Lord has a more particular reference to the Christians who are guilty of these things and in especial manner to the Romans by whom all those abominable wickednesses are allowed and that this was spoken to the Christians it doth appear in the foregoing Chapter Isa 56. from the 7. v. to the end by reason God speaketh of the gathering of the out cast of Israel and that he then will gather others with them and it is evident Israel hath never since been gathered And at that time it is said That all the Beasts of the Field and Forrest should come to devour And that could not be to Devour Israel for it is said they are then to be restored and it is made farther evident in that it is said The Watchmen are all blind and so treating of the same effect in the next Chapter as I have set down in the 3. and 4. v. Now as to what St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 4.7 For who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it That is the good ground before it receiveth Seed will bring forth Weeds as the other doth Thorns but when the good ground does receive Seed there is presently a difference in the growth of the Fruit in that of the good ground from that of the Thorny yet nothing to be boasted of because all that is good in them came from that hand that gave the Seed or else they might for ever have remained the Children of wrath as well as others Therefore the lower we set in our own Estimation the higher we rise in God's Now whereas Christ saith in John 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him That is at first God must draw the Heart to Christ that the Soul might be convinc'd that he was the Christ And in the Apostles time there was given the Holy Ghost to bear witness to the World the truth thereof Neither can any now come to Christ except the Father draw him And in the visible Church of Christ there is a three-fold drawing of God First By the Invitation of his word and by way of Reproof Instruction and Exhortation Secondly There is the reproof of the Spirit of God which we commonly call the checks of Conscience Thirdly There is the good Motions of the Spirit of God all these being the drawings of God to bring us home to him through Christ to Repentance This being the ordinary way of God's Working in his Church And Israel having these drawings of God therefore he calls out to them by his Prophets for to come to Repentance because â—e had put them in a capacity so to do giving them power to do that part for themselves but when through their continual resisting the good Spirit of God and in refusing to be obedient to his word And then it is God leaves them And therefore St. Stephen said to them Acts 7.51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so do ye And then it is as it is said they that are accustomed to do evil cannot learn to do well That is when through their own resisting they weary out the good Spirit of God so as he leaves them to themselves But whilst God calls Israel to come to Repentance there was a door of Mercy open to them Therefore God saith in Ezekiel 33.11 Say unto them as I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the Death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye die O house of Israel Here it is evident by the Word of God that when he thus invited them there was a door of Mercy open to them but when God would not shew Mercy to his people Israel then doth God neither call on them to Repentance
saith That they were then made the ofi-scouring of all things Now from among the scattered Church was God's special Elect which were so secured in Christ that they could not fall away and therefore in time to come will be a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation who were at that time but a scattered People Now whereas St. Paul saith 2 Tim. 2.11,12 It is a faithful saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him if we deny him he also will deny us That is Dead to all the â—inful pleasures and injoyments of this World In the 15. v. of the same Chapter he saith Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth Here the Apostle lets us understand the word is so joyn'd as there must be skill in the Dividing of it And the Apostle speaking of Hymeneus and Philetus saith in the 2. chap. and the 18. v. Who concerning the Truth have erred saying that the Resurrection is past already and overthrew the Faith of some 19. Nevertheless the Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from Iniquity Now in the 18. v. he saith That the Faith of some was overtheown and that by the false Brethren But in this verse he saith The foundation of God standeth sure The which foundation is those which are so absolutely given to Christ as they should not fall away Whilst the other Elect were but called renewed and put into a capacity of Obedience Now whereas he saith in the 20 verse But in a great House there are not only Vessels of Gold and of Silver but also wood and earth some to honour and some to dishonour if a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a Vessel unto honour Sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work That is the Gold and Silver are those that are more absolutely chosen of God but the wood and stone if they improve the benefits that God gives them and purge themselves from an evil Conversation they shall become meet for the Master's use shewing that there is a power in our selves to reform and amend till such time that by often resisting they exclude themselves from his mercy And by the words of Christ we may receive certain Confirmation of this by what he saith to the Church of Ephesus in Rev. 2.3,4,5 And hast born and hast patience and for my sake hast laboured and hast not fainted Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first Love Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent This shews that their Candlestick was in the right place but if they did not Repent and do their first works then Christ said he would remove their Candlestick out of his place And also the Lord saith to the Church of Sardis Rev. 3.1,2,3 I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and Repent If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a Thief and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee Now this doth shew that one part of the Church was become dead through sin and so become forsaken of God and therefore left off to hardness of Heart and blindness of Mind but to the other part that was ready to die the Lord calls to them to come to Repentance whereby we may know that when we have had the knowledg of God and his ways and he hath not withdrawn the good motions of his Spirit from us There is a Power in us to come to Repentance and amendment of Life For God calls not the People to come to Repentance after they have no Power in their Hand to do it but then he saith let them alone Hos 4.17 When he will no farther shew mercy to them Now in this Church there was three sorts one part Dead another part ready to die and another part alive and well as it is said Rev. 3.4,5 Thou hast a few Names in Sardis which have not defiled their Garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white Raiment and I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life but I will confess his Name before my Father and before his Angels From which words it remains certain that some names are blotted out of the Book of Life And St. James saith James 4.8,9,10 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you cleanse your Hands ye sinners and purify your Hearts ye double minded Be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy into Heaviness Humble your selves in the Sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up And St. John saith Matt. 3.8 Bring forth therefore Fruits meet for repentance For we shall all be judged according to our works and God doth not require of us that which he hath not put us in a Capacity to do Rom. 2.12 And the Heathen that have not the Law shall not be judged by the Law As to what Moses saith in his Song That their Feet shall slide in due time hath a quite contrary meaning to what we have apprehended it the which is fully explained where I speak of the Covenant and Song As for the Promise made to David mentioned in Psal 99. is Answered where the special Election is Treated of Now all these Controversal Points being fully opened to the bottom whereby we may plainly see that the words of the Apostles had no such meaning as hitherto we have apprehended them to have and having the Oath and Word of God again and again to assure us the contrary And also Christ hath told us that whosoever comes to him he will in no wise cast out so that we need not fear to be forsaken of God if we do not forsake him and that God does not withdraw from the Soul on purpose to leave them to fall into Sin that he might Damn them but God does try all his to see if they will follow him and if they so do he is their exceeding great Reward Now if any would have greater assurance than the Words and Oath of God and the Word of Christ must look to have it in their last Punishment I bless the Eternal God by his opening his Word unto me he hath brought me out of that dangerous mistake the which did so take off from
then Farther confirmed the blessing to him as in Gen. 22. And at the time appointed according to his Promise God did appear to deliver his Seed out of the Land of Egypt and when he brought them into the Wilderness he is said to prove them there And God kept Moses in the Mount with him but forty days and Israel was all fallen off to Idolatry for which the Lord would have destroyed them all as in Exod. 32.10,11,12 Where God saith now therefore let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them and I will make of thee a great Nation But thro' the Prayers of Moses as in the 11. v. the Fierce Anger of the Lord was asswaged The which gives us to understand that there was no such absolute Election at that time But rather from that time God might give Christ a certain number whose names might then be written in the Book of Life that they should be as a standing witness through this World if in case the Devil should at any time draw off the rest yet still there should remain a standing Witness the which should own the Truth by which means those that did desire the ways of Holiness might be recovered out of Darkness again by coming to have the knowledg of the Truth and following their Example Now St. Stephen saith in Acts 7.34 That it was Christ that was in the Church in the Wilderness And Israel then being chosen for the foundation of the World to come it does thereby fully appear that their Names were then put into the Book of Life who should be a standing witness through the World and so secured in Christ as they should not fall away Of whom St. Paul speaketh in the Romans after he had spoken of the wilful miscarriage of Israel whom God hath put into a capacity of Obedience as in Rom. 10.21 But to Israel he saith all the day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying People But he afterward speaking of the Special Elect he saith Rom. 11.2 God hath not cast away his People which he foreknew That is foreknew of the Church by their close walking with him and also in especial manner he doth here mean the very Elect whose Names were written in Heaven from the Foundation of the World Of whom he saith in Rom. 11.5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the Election of Grace Now in the foregoing verse he there tells them that God reserved to himself seven Thousand who had not bowed the Knee to the Image of Baal So as there was then so there was when Christ came a Number according to the Election of Grace the which were as a gift from the Father to Christ And of these Christ speaks in John 10.27,28,29,30 My sheep hear my Voice and I know them and they follow me And I give unto them Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand My Father which gave them me is greater than all and none is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand I and my Father are one Here we see Christ does own these as a gift from the Father and that they are so absolutely given as they can never fall away Now of his other Sheep the Lord speaketh after another manner to let them know they stand not so securely For he saith John 15.2,5,6,9,10,12,14 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away And he saith I am the Vine ye are the branches 〈◊〉 he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing 6. If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned 9. As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love 10 If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I keep my Fathers Commandments and abide in his love 12. This is my Commandment that you love one another as I have loved you 14. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Here we see our standing is but upon Conditions and the Conditions is the continuance in our Obedience the which if we do not perfist in though we were ingrafted into Christ we shall be broken off and cast into the fire And although we are in the love of Christ yet we may through our own default not continue in it whilst the other sheep are so absolutely fixed in Christ that they cannot fall away And in John 6.35,37 And Jesus said unto them I am the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst This includes their continuance in believing the which belief is a practical belief as I have elsewhere proved where I have spoken of it And Christ saith John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Now this was spoken to the Jews that believed not therefore Christ told them That all that the Father had given him should come to him because from them were a certain number of the special Elect And Christ encourages all to come to him for he saith he that cometh to him he will in no wise cast out So as none need fear being left of God if they do not first forsake him And that we may not forsake him let us never trust our selves with our selves but continually beg strength and grace of him whereby we may be enabled to live unto him and if we so do we shall find a continual support from him And to be sure none of the Jews was left of God to blindness of mind that had in sincerity lived in Obedience but the blindness fell on them that had leaves only That is an Outward shew of Godliness but denying the Power thereof Acts 13.26 And the Lord saith in John 6.39,40 And this is the Fathers will which sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day This also includes the special Elect and by the Last Day is meant the Last Day of this World But the Lord saith in 40 v. And this is the will of him that sen◠me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Here this includes all believers shewing That if they do believe it is then the Will of God that they should so continue that they might have everlasting Life By which it is very clear That God doth not withdraw from any that believe because that he would damn them but it is they first forsake him and so fall away For it is the Will of God our continuance in
expired then will his Foes be made his Footstool And then as to what is said of the Glorious Kingdom of Christ in Psalm 89. will then be made manifest as in 27. to 37. v. Also I will make him my First-born higher than the Kings of the Earth My mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him His Seed also will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the days of Heaven If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgments If they break my Statutes and keep not my commandmandments Then will I visit their transgression with the Rod and their iniquity with Stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him Nor suffer my Faithfulness to fail My Covenant will I not break nor alter the things that is gone out of my Lips Once have I sworn by my Holiness that I will not lie unto David His seed shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sun before me It shall be established for ever as the Moon and as a faithful witness in Heaven Selah Here we see that these Promises hath only a reference as to the time of Christ's glorious Kingdom and in the former part of the Psalm it has a reference to David and Solomon and whether or no this promise now in this time hath any further reference as to the Natural Seed of David is uncertain but because of Manassah I am apt to think it might have a further reference to a Line in his Seed and the promise concludes in a single person in that it is said my loving kindness will I not take from him that is Not from David Solomon and Christ when he bore the sins of the World Now the Church is no where mentioned as He but always term'd a She they or them and so in this promise is neither included the Body of the Church in this time or in that time that is to come for then is Israel and as many of us as shall become new Creatures will then be put into such a capacity as never to offend any more and therefore to receive no more stripes but the promise is not so then to Egypt and Syrria therefore to them and others after the Thousand Years there is but upon their offending threatned a temporal punishment as in Zach. 14.17,18 And whereas St. John saith 1 John 5.18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not This he speaks of them whom Christ terms his very Elect who does not wilfully commit sin and who are so secured in Christ that they cannot fall away and also their diligence is so imployed in the ways of God as it is said of them They keep themselves so as the evil one toucheth them not accordingly it is said of them which are to be sealed for the glorious Tabernacle Rev. 14.4 That they followed the Lamb wheresoever he goeth And also 5. v. They were without fault before the Throne of God Therefore if we would know our Election and Calling let us examin our selves how closely we walk with God since it is those that securely stand that keep themselves as the evil one touch them not That is they improve all the grace that God has given them as they are not wanting to themselves but that we do not all so securely stand as I have fully proved by Christ and all the Apostles it being yet but a conditional Covenant but so if we will not be wanting to our selves God will never leave us nor forsake us but as for tryals we must expect But St. Paul saith If we once have the knowledg of the Truth and a belief and delight in the ways of God and then wilfully fall away he then saith There remains no hope Heb. 6.4,5,6 For it is impossible for those that were once inlightned and have tasted of the Heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost And have tasted the good word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again by repentance seeing they Crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to open shame And also he farther saith in Heb. 10.26 to the 31. If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the Adversaries He that despised Moses's Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punshment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was Sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despight unto the Spirit of Grace For we know him that said Vengeance belongeth unto me I will recompence saith the Lord. Accordingly it is said in 2 Pet. 2.20,21 The Sin against the Holy Ghost AS to the sin against the Holy Ghost in the Regenerate is one thing and in the unregenerate it is another thing Now we see by those Scriptures before mentioned that wilfully and presumptiously to Sin after we are once Regenerated as to have the knowledg of the Truth so as to tast the good word of God and the Powers of the World to come That is to have a belief in his Word and the experience of the love of God to our Souls after which to fall away and sin wilfully by the words of the Apostles it clearly appears to be the Sin against the Holy Ghost in that he saith They Crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh for which there remains no more Sacrifice for sin but a fearful looking for of Judgment in Fiery Indignation which shall consume the Adversary But to the Unregenerate or outward Church that have not had the saving Knowledg of God they have far larger extent before sin in them is termed the sin against the Holy Ghost which is as far as to the absolute renouncing God and Christ as Witches do or to do a thing in despight to the Spirit of Grace as Julian the Apostate did when he threw dust into the Air in despite and said thou hast overcome me thou Galilean And as to what St. Peter saith of the false Teachers they are in much the like condition for he saith in the 2. chap. 3. ver Through Covetuousness shall they with feigned words make Merchandise of you whose judgment now of a long time lingreth not and their damnation stumbreth not And if we continually check Conscience till it is mute that thereby God leaves them to blindness of Mind and hardness of Heart we have little reason to think that it will prove any other than the sin against the Holy Ghost Now there has been some that I have read of that has been drawn in to sell themselves to the Devil for some
was the Devil Perfect And whereas the Lord saith in St. Matthew Be ye perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect And it is said in 2 Cor. 10.5 Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every thought to the Obedience of Christ If we so do then Christ will impute his perfect Righteousness to us And so as it is said in Col. 2.10 We shall be compleat in him And if so then perfect in Christ Jesus through his righteousness put upon us And whereas St. Paul saith in Phil. 3.8,9,10 Yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ And be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by Faith That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable unto his death By which we see if we are made partakers of the Righteousness of Christ we must be brought into a holy Conformity to Christ as being dead to the sinful Pleasures of this World that we might live to him that died for us And St. Paul in Phil. 3.11,12 tells us wherefore he was thus conformable which was If by any means I might attain unto the Resurrection of the dead Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect But I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus Now by what is here said we may clearly understand that though Paul was regenerated and born again yet he saith he was not come to the Resurrection of the dead And whereas he saith Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect Now he had those Qualifications whereby the Saints are made partakers of the imputed Righteousness of Christ so as to be accounted perfect or compleat in him Yet he here saith he was not perfect Therefore the Righteousness he here speaks of was not of an Imputed Perfect Righteousness but of an Inherent Perfect Righteousness which is only attainable for the Righteous at the Resurrection from the Dead and then it is that he shall fully apprehend that Infinite Love and Mercy by which he was apprehended of Christ Jesus And whereas he saith Phil. 3.14,15 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded Here he speaks of the perfection of the Will in which consists their sincere Obedience to Christ by which they become partakers of the perfect Righteousness purchased by Christ And whereas he saith in the latter part of the same verse If in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal this unto you This he said to them that were perfect in sincerity in their obedience to Christ that if they had not attained to that clear knowledg of God in their mind as he had yet God would Reveal the same unto them by enlightning their understanding in what he had taught them ALL THE CHIEF POINTS Contained in the CHRISTIAN Religion And those GREAT TRUTHS in the word which we have not had a Right Apprehension of for almost Thirteen Hundred Years never since the Rise of the Beast Are now discovered by the FINGER of GOD. The whole here Collected into Short Heads that thereby they might the better sink down into the Understanding and be Registred in our Memories which Truths are now proved and Published By M. M. LONDON Printed and are to be Sold by J. Clark at the Bible in the Old Change at the upper end of Cheapside E. Whitlock in Stationers-Court in Amen-Corner and W. Reddish ni Griffiths Buildings near the Royal Cook-pit Westminster 1697. The Scriptures being now Rightly Understood are made to agree in a Holy Harmony so as Justice Mercy and Truth go hand in hand together which before we came to have a right Underderstanding in the Word we made to contradict it self which has caus'd so much Dissention amonst us Some there are that term the word a dead letter but all them that believe the scriptures to be the word of God and take to the way directed therein such the scriptures are able to make wise unto salvation 2. Tim. 3.15,16 18. for by them we come to have faith in Christ Jesus as to believe that he will perform his promise according to the condition he hath made in the word Mat. 11.29 And therefore Christ is said to be the Author and Finisher of Faith because he will give the hoped for promised Reward to them that are found in their Obedience for the word our is not in the Hebrew Tongue And in the Scriptures is the Wisdom of God and the power of God and such as walk according to that Holy rule blessed are they Gal. 6.10 2. Cor. 4.4 And the word being Rightly understood God doth not swear and declare to do one thing and absolutely decree to do quite the contrary for all the scriptures agree in one the same thing And they that speak not according to the Law and to the Testimony it is because there is no Light in them Isa 8.20 Isa 62.8 Ezek. 33.11 And if we take to the way therein directed God hath promised his assistance and by so doing we shall be brought off from the World and so born again by having a complying frame of Spirit to the will of God if we are to the utmost of our power sincere in our endeavour GREAT TRUTHS in the Word are now Discovered by the Finger of GOD c. THE Mighty God according to his Promise that at Evening time it should be Light Zech. 14.7 hath now at the appointed time discovered the true meaning of his word the which we lost the right apprehension of by our Predecessors who were involv'd in darkness of Popery whereby we are now in great mistakes The Truths which have not been rightly understood are these that follow I. That the Eternal Purpose only reacheth forward to the Eternity that lies before us as is proved like as Christ in time became the Author of Eternal Salvation and as God in time promised Eternal Life II. That after Adam fell the decree was made for the entrance into Life to be made strait and how that straitness doth consist is proved III. That being of old ordained to this condemnation hath another meaning than what we have hitherto apprehended IV. In Scripture there is mention made of Three Worlds and therefore Three Foundations whereby it is clearly proved there was none chosen before or at the Foundation of the Material Heavens and Earth and that these Three Worlds spoken of in Scripture are Three Worlds of People First
they that Seek him shall find him if they search for him with the whole heart Christ saith VVhosoever will let him come And tho we can do nothing without Gods assistance for in him we live moâ—e have our being it is he that hath laid the Spiritual meat before us Hosea 11.4 whereby to guide our feet into the way of peace hath promised that whilst they 〈◊〉 the way he will be with them And the Prodigal that knew that he had wandered from his fathers House first lookt home before his father lookt on him and tho God may some times go out of his ordinary way of working and pluck as it were a brand out of the burning yet he no longer securely stands then he is found in his obedience for it is those that will fall under the condemnation that will not choose the fear of the Lord Prov 1.29 but for those that thro long continuance in sin have seared their Conscience whereby they become left of God to a stupid sense it is such cannot learn to do well no more then the Ethiopian can change his Skin c. but whilst we have a sense to see the evil inclinations which our natures are prone to we may continually pray Lord turn thou us and we shall be turned And if man does his endeavour God will never be wanting to such And if we resist the devil he will flee from us And if we draw nigh to God he will draw nigh to us James 4.7,8 But whereas the Lord saith No man can come to me except the Father draw him And the drawings of God are the tenders of his Grace with the good motions of his Spirit and checks of Conscience the which the old World and Israel had till they resisted for which they were condemned Gen. 6.3 Acts 7.51 And whereas the Lord saith Except a Man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven This was spoken to Nicodemus who had embraced this present World and therefore came to Jesus by Night as being ashamed to own him and such are to be born again or brought off from the World or they cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven as is more fully proved in the book where the Faith of Abraham is fully explained and also there in is made appear what is meant by the Wind blowing where it listeth and likewise therein is shewed Who they are that are not under the condemning power of the Law for their past sins Rom. 3.25 but under Grace that they are such as will and do walk in Newness of Life and if we will enter into Life we must keep the Commandments Mat. 19.17 For all are his servants to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of Obedience unto Righteousness Rom. 6 16. And whereas it is said It is not for the works of Righteousness that we have done but of his Mercy he saved 〈◊〉 This was spoken of the Elect who wâ—… then brought out of Idolatry and has no reference to us as is proved XXII Whereas the Apostle said Ye are saved by Grace not of works that is Man could not perform good works to that perfection as to become justified by them without the Merits of Christ and therefore saved by Grace but there is none that live in the performance of good works but shall be rewarded according to their works Rev. 22.12 The Eternal Life that is now in this time given the Believer excepting the very elect which is the standing witness is no otherwise given then it was to Adam and Eve in Paradise for had they never sinned they should never have dyed so the true Believer that believes salvation is to be had in the way of his obedience according to the word of the Lord he shall never be cast off but the Man that Departs from the Lord by wilful committing Iniquity he is no longer a Believer according to the Gospel as is proved XXIII Whereas the Lord said when he sent his Disciples forth to preach the Gospel to all the World He that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16.15,16,17 That is He that believeth the Doctrine that he sent them forth to Teach and the Mercy and Condemnation was to them that accordingly Believed or refused Believing the same as not to obey the truth Mat. 28.19,20 For the Lord speaks by the Law and Gospel but to them that hears it as proved But whereas Christ said He that Believeth not is condemned already This the Lord spake to the Jews who had heard him but believed not and therefore were condemned and thereby it also sheweth that more of Israel might have been saved had they been willing to take hold of the offered Mercy I here gather so many heads together that thro' the misinterpretation of the Scriptures Satan might not beguile so many of their Souls for if we take a text of Scripture as it stands alone without weighing how it is spoken and what the whole scope of the Scripture tends to we may raise as falce Doctrine as God is True O God who of thy great Mercy hath made thy word plain in those things we have been mistaken in give more of thy Assisting Grace for to improve the knowledge of the Truth These things which are here but hinted with the other disputable places and also the signs of the Times with the near approach of the coming of the Lord are now fully explained and proved in about four small Treatises The Books contain so many several heads that I have not here room to incert them but by them the word is so plain that none need any longer remain in mistakes that are willing to understand the Truth I shall only here mention the chief Title of each Book First The Explaination of the Faith of Abraham Price bound 10. d. bound up with the Christian Belief which has the Eexplanation of the Trinity Price 1 s. 2 d. The signs of the times and coming of the Lord bound up with the Prophesie of Moses that foretold the firing of the Mountains Price bound 10 d. all three bound up togather Price 1 s. 6 d. The book that Proveth there Worlds and three Foundations with the Tree of knowledge of good and evil Price bound 1 s. And are to be Sold at the places before mentioned in the Title The book of the Figurative Speeches is not yet out My aim is at the good of Souls and therefore that they that understand not the word may be convinced of the Truth I Refer my Books to the Lord Bishops who I believe are men of that integrity that will not oppose the Truth to whom I shall by Gods assistance give further satisfaction if required and when God had inlightned my understanding in his word I did dare do no other then leave and venture the little concern I had and come above a Hundred Miles to acquaint the Nation what God is a going about to do this being the little time that is given the Christianâ— to prepare God make this Nation a Light to Christian 〈◊〉 FINIS