those who had not that SALVATION but perished Eternally their Destruction was of themselves as God said unto Israel O Israel thou destroyest thy self but in me is thy help The Angels which fell had a State of Rest and Peace with God this was their first state which Jude here speaks of but they kept not this First STATE and Habitation but LEFT IT yea Lost it through Presumption Irreverence and Neglect of their Duty whom God in his Righteous Judgments hath reserved in Everlasting CHAINS under Darkness unto the Judgment of the great day Jude 6. the keeping and preservation of Angels and Men from falling is in their Humble Lowly Constant depending upon God in the diligent improvement of all that God hath given them for his Glory and their Preservation Moreover Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to Fornication and going after STRANGE FLESH are set forth for Example suffering the Vengance of ETERNAL FIRE c. Jude 7. The holy Apostle Peter also sheweth that God did not spare the Angels that SINNED but cast them down to HELL and delivered them into Chains of Darkness to be reserved unto Judgment neither did he spare the old World nor Sodom nor Gomorah but by Fire and Water did he overthrow them making them an Ensample unto those that after should LIVE UNGODLY 2 Pet. 2. 4 5 6. Note Reader Here these holy Men shew that God spared not the Angels which sinned but cast them down to Hell It would be horrible Blasphemy to say that God ordained willed and purposed that they should sin against him that so he might cast them down to Hell this is not only Unscriptural and Unreasonable but it s wholly contrary to the nature of the holy glorious Lord God of Heaven and Earth who is LOVE as the Apostle saith yea a pure Fountain of Divine Love who made all things good yea VERY GOOD in the beginning who is of purer eyes then to behold Iniquity either in Men or Angels with approbation thereof delight therein or love thereto He said Be ye holy for I the Lord your God am holy for he made all things good and he CERTAINLY WILLED that ALL Angels and Men should be Good Holy and Clean according as he made Man and Angels in the beginning but for want of DUE REVERENCE DILIGENT WATCHFULNESS AND A TRUE AND FULL IMPROVEMENT of all that God gave them for his own Glory and their own PRESERVATION both Angels and Men have SINNED and the holy pure God NOT DELIGHTING IN THEIR SIN but on the contrary being DISPLEASED AT IT yea grieved WITH IT therefore doth God bring his Righteous Judgments upon the Angels who FELL and upon Ungodly Wicked Impenitent Men and Women who do not turn unto him by Unfeigned Repentance while the day or time of their Visitation lasteth As it s written God is Angry with the Wicked every day Psal 7. 11. The Wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God Psal 9. 17. God tryeth the Righteous but the wicked and him that loveth VIOLENCE HIS SOUL HATETH Vpon the Wicked he shall rain Snares Fire and Brimstone and an herrible Tempest For the Righteous Lord loveth Righteousness his countenance doth behold the Vpright Psalm 11. 5 6 7. He that justifieth the Wicked and he that condemneth the Just even they both are ABOMINATION to the Lord Prov. 17. 15. To the Wicked God saith what hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant inthy Mouth SEEING THOU HATEST INSTRUCTION AND CASTEST MY WORDS BEHIND THEE when thou sawest a THIEF thou consentedst with him and hast been partaker with the Adulterer thou givest thy Mouth to Evil and thy Tongue frameth Deceit Now consider this ye that FORGET GOD lest I TEAR YOU IN PIECES c. whoso offereth Praises glorifieth me and to him that ordereth HIS CONVERSATION ARIGHT will I shew the Salvation OF GOD The holy just equal merciful Lord God doth not WILLINGLY AFFLICT NOR GRIEVE the Children of men Out of the Mouth of the most high proceedeth NOT EVIL and Good as saith the holy Prophet Lamen 3. 33. 38. Reader thus it doth clearly appear that the Damnation of the Angels that fell and the Damnation and Destruction of all Impenitent men and women IS OF THEMSELVES and the Lord God is clear who saith As I live I have no pleasure in the death of the Wicked but that the wicked turn from his evil way and live Ezek. 33. 11. 18. 32. The Apostle Paul said unto the Galatians who had erred from the Truth O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth c. are ye so foolish having BEGUN IN THE SPIRIT are ye now made perfect BY THE FLESH ye did run well who did hinder you that you should not obey the Truth This perswasion COMETH NOT of him that CALLETH you a little Leaven leaveneth a whole Lump Gal 3. 1. 3. Chap. 5. vers 7 8 9. Reader by these Scriptures it doth clearly and abundantly appear that God did not predestinate or fore-ordain that Angels or Men should Sin against him and so be damned Oh nay he loves and delights in Holiness but all Sin is abominable unto him yea Sin is of the Devil as the holy Ghost or Spirit hath spoken by the Mouth of the holy Apostle John And because it is of the Devil as it is signified by the holy Ghost through the holy Man Righteousness exalts a Nation but Sin is a Reproach unto any People Prov. 14. 34. And therefore the cry of the holy Ghost WAS AND IS unto the fallen Sons and Daughters of Adam Cleanse your Hands ye sinners and purifie your Hearts ye double-minded c. James 4. 8. Let the Wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his Thoughts Let him turn nnto the Lord and he will have mercy on him unto our God and he will abundantly PARDON Isa 55. 7. God said unto the Prophet Son of man when the Land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously then will I stretch forth mine Hand upon it and will break their Staff of Bread c. and ye shall know that I have not done WITHOVT CAVSE all that I have done in it saith the Lord God Ezek. 14. 13 23. Note Reader in as much as the JUST EQUAL Lord God of Heaven and Earth will not bring a temporal Judgment upon a Nation or Person untill they have given him JUST CAUSE by their great Sin Rebellion and Impenitency much less will HE Condemn or Damn or cast any Nation or Person into Hell or endless Misery untill they have given him Just Cause by their Sins and hardned Impenitency which Sin Hardness and Impenitency the Devil not God is the author of and Sin and the Impenitency of all such who Perish is according to the ordination will pleasure of the Devil the old Deceiver Destroyer and so is ABSOLUTELY
their Lamps went out which shews they were once in and they could not enter with the Bride-groom for the Door was shut So will it be with the hardned Apostates who tasted of the heavenly Gift and have been made pertakers of the Power of the World to come who turned from the heavenly Gift delivered to them who made Shipwrack of that Faith which God gave them and put away a good Conscience which they once had who have trampled the Blood of the Covenant under Foot whereby they were sanctified who are grown past feeling whose Conscience is seared with a hot Iron such having sinned out the day of Gods tender Visitation unto them they are as Trees twice dead plucked up by the Roots whose end is to be burned Wells without Water Clouds without Rain carried about of Tempests wandring Stars for whom is reserved the mist or blackness of Darkness forever Enoch the seventh from Adam Prophesied of these c. the Apostle Peter and Paul and Jude write of these in their several Epistles as may be read at large Though these like Balaam the Enemy of God and of his People should desire to dye the death of the Righteous and have their latter end like his which is to enter into the Kingdom of God and sit down in Peace and Rest in it yet can they not enter therein seeing they have refused rejected done despite unto and what they can trampled upon that blessed Gift which God hath given to lead thereinto Again the Disciples of Jesus said unto him Declare unto us the Parable of the Tares of the Field he answered and said unto them He that soweth the good Seed is the Son of man the Field is the World the good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom but the Tares are the Children of the Wicked the Enemy that sowed them is the Devil the Harvest is the end of the World the Reapers are the Angels Again Christ spake a Parable and said Behold a Sower went forth to Sow and when he sowed some Seeds fell by the High-way side and the Fowls came and devoured them up some fell upon Stony places where they had not much Earth and forth-with they sprang up but because they had not deepness of Earth when the Sun was up they were scorched and because they had not Root they withered away and some fell among Thorns and they sprung up and choaked them but others fell in good Ground and brought forth Fruit some an hundred Fold some sixty Fold some thirty Fold And Jesus said Hear ye therefore the Parable of the Sower when any one heareth the Word of the Kingdom and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his Heart this is he which received Seed by the way side but he that received the Seed into Stony places the same is he that heareth the Word and anon with Joy receiveth it yet hath he not Root in himself but dureth for a while for when Tribulation or Persecution ariseth because of the Word by and by he is offended he also that received Seed among the Thorns is he that heareth the Word and the cares of this World and the deceitfulness of Riches choak the Word and he becometh Vnfruitful But he that received the Seed into the good Ground is he that in an honest and good Heart having heard the Word keeps it and brings forth Fruit with patience see Matth. 1. Luke 8. 15. Again The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Net that was cast into the Sea which when it was full they drew to Shore and gathered the good into Vessels but cast the bad away so shall it be at the end of the World the Angels shall come forth and sever the Wicked from among the Just and shall cast them into the Furnace of Fire there shall be Weeping and Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth Again Jesus spake a Parable and said A certain man made a great Supper c. and sent his Servant at Supper-time to say to them that were bidden Come for all things are now ready and they all with one consent began to make excuse the first said unto him I have bought a piece of Ground I must needs go and see it I pray thee have me excused and another said I have bought five Yoke of Oxen I go to prove them I pray thee have me excused and another said I have married a Wife and therefore I cannot come c. And he said that none of those which were bidden shall taste of my Supper see Luke 14. 16. to the 24. verse And Jesus said Whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple Again Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple verse 27. 33. Note Reader the Seed that is sown in ALL these several sorts of Ground is of ONE and the SAME Nature to wit good as it is written The Righteousness which is of Faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thy Heart Who shall ascend up to Heaven that is to fetch Christ from above or who shall descend into the deep to bring Christ up again from the Dead or who shall go beyond the Sea to fetch the Word unto us that we may hear it and do it but what saith it The word is NIGH THEE even in thy Heart and in thy Mouth that thou mayst do it see Deut. 30. 11 12 13 14 15. Rom. 10. 6 7 8. This good Seed is sown on all these several sorts of Grounds for ONE and the same cause or end even that it might take deep Root in all and bring forth Fruit in all and the Lord God in mercy to all Men and Women doth put them in a condition give them a time in which it is possible for this Word the good Seed to take deep Root in their Hearts and to bring forth Fruit INALL some thirty some sixty some an hundred Fold He can as he hath promised take away the Stony Heart and renew a right Spirit and Mind God makes none of these Grounds evil or bad but the Devil doth it but God can change them from evil or bad into the good he can cut them out of the wild Olive and plant them in Christ the true Vine But it is not wholly impossible that men and women through their Self-willfulness Sloathfulness Negligence Presumption and Carelesness may turn away their Hearts and Minds from the Voice of the living powerful Word of God and so give up their Hearts Minds and Ears to the Devil who led Adam and Eve into Sin against God they were placed in the Paradise of God in the likeness of God which is Holiness and Purity it was possible that they might have stood in that glorious state wherein God set them but it was NOT impossible that they could fall from that state God cannot fall or change in God and Christ ONLY is infallibility that which is
the preservation of Men and Angels from falling or failing of their duty to God and Men is the Word and Power of God and of Christ but they that turn away their Minds Hearts and Ears from the powerful Word of God manifest in their Hearts Satan the EVIL Seeds-man sows his evil Seed of Sin and Wickedness in their Hearts to wit Unbelief the fear of Persecution the cares of this Life and the deceitfulness of Riches Lust of the Flesh Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life yea in many Idolatry Envy Whoredoms and many other Evils so as Christ saith He that soweth and begetteth this Generation of Evil-doers and nurseth them up and maketh them strong to do Wickedness is the Devil Christ said to such You are of your Father the Devil for the Lusts of your Father you 'l do he was a Murtherer and a Lyar from the beginning c. The Devil and his Generation are NOT the Elect but the Reprobates the Devil or his Seed or Generation CANNOT enter the Kingdom of Heaven though they strive never so much but the Lake of Fire is the place appointed for them there to be tormented as it is written But Christ and his Seed and Generation who are Born again not of corruptible Seed nor of the Will of the Flesh nor of the Will of Man but of God of the incorruptible Seed which liveth and abideth forever these are the Elect of God who enter into his Kingdom and are in safety Peace and Rest with him Here are the states of Election and Reprobation Scripturally and Experimentally witnessed unto Again Jesus said unto his Disciples The time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God Service Note these are ungodly Thoughts and the killing of the Disciples of Jesus are ungodly Actions the Devil NOT GOD is the Author of these Thoughts and Actions as Christ said unto the Murthering Jews who betrayed and murthered him Ye are of your Father the Devil he was a Lyar and a Murtherer from the beginning Now those who thought they did God service in killing the Disciples of Christ they thought no doubt this their work of Murther would render them acceptable with God and so to have admittance to enter into the Kingdom of God But herein the Devil the old Deceiver had greatly befooled them and bewitch'd them toxecated them and made them mad The holy man of God told the Murthering Jews how their Fathers Persecuted the Prophets and slew them which shewed before the coming of the Just one of whom ye have been now the Betrayers and Murtherers see Acts 7. 51 52. The Apostle John saith Whosoever hateth his Brother is a Murtherer and ye know that no Murtherer hath eternal Life abiding in him see 1 John 3. 8. 15. Note Reader that the Apostle in the holy Ghost chargeth him that hateth his Brother to be a Murtherer therefore keep out of Hated and love thine Enemy as Christ commands and if thou so do thou wilt not Hate and Murther thy Friends it being truly so that Hatred is Murther in the sight of God though he that hateth do not or cannot reach to kill him that he hates then actually to kill the Prophets of God and Disciples of Christ is Murther in the highest degree and is a great breach of the holy Law of God which commands expresly saying Thou shalt do no Murther Which good and holy and standing Law of God Christ came not to abrogate or destroy but to fulfill as he said who said Love your Enemies do good to them that despitefully use you and persecute you and also said Whatsoever you would that men should do unto you do you even so unto them Blessed are all they who do his Commandments they have right to the Tree of Life and to enter into the Kingdom of God therein to rest in Joy and Peace for evermore but the Unbelievers Murtherers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Lyars shall have their part in the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death see Rev. 21. 18. and 22. 14 15. Again The Apostle Peter said unto the Believers in Christ If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you c. but let none of you suffer as a Murtherer or as a Thief c. yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalf see 2 Pet. 3. 14 15 16. Note Reader here the Apostle plainly shews that he that is a Murtherer c. is not a Christian and if he suffer for his Murther he suffers not as a Christian but as a great Transgressor of the holy Law of God given by Moses and not only so but also a breaker of the glorious and spiritual Law of Christ which commands and leads to love Enemies as I have shewed before Again Jesus Christ saith What is a man advantaged if he gain the whole World if he lose himself or be cast away see Luke 9. 25. Again What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole World and lose his own Soul see Mark 8. 36. Again Then said Jesus unto his Disciples If any man will come after me let him deny himself utterly deny himself so the Greek renders it in the Margin and take up his Cross and follow me For whosoever will save his Life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his Life for my sake shall find it For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole World and lose his own Soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his Soul for the Son of man shall come in the Glory of his Father with his Angels and then he shall reward every man according to his Works see Matth. 16. 24 25 26 27. Note Reader those that seek after the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life the Ungodly Gain the corruptible Riches and sinful Honours and Pleasures all which perish with using they refuse or deny Christ they refuse to bear the Cross which all his true and real Disciples bear and such in chusing and getting their Ungodly Gain Lusts and Pleasures do lose themselves lose their own Souls deprive themselves of the Kingdom of God and so their Destruction is of themselves and the Lord God is clear Wo unto them that rise early in the Morning that they may follow strong Drink that continue till Wine enflame them and the Harp and the Viol the Tabret and the Pipe are in their Feasts c. but they regard not the work of the Lord neither consider the operation of his Hands see Isa 5. 11 12. Again the Prophet saith concerning the Wicked Give them according to their Deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavours give them after the work of their Hands render to them their desert because they regard not the works of the Lord
bruise Satan under their FEET And the Apostle said I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the Life that I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH it is by the Faith of the Son of God Mark this Life was not a Life in Sin for Faith in the Son of God gives Victory over Sin and the Devil that is the author of it Rom. 6. 2 7. and the same Apostle saith How shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein and he said He that is dead is freed from Sin And he also speaks in one of his Epistles of dying daily and in the aforesaid Chapter sayes I am dead with Christ c. So he knew a time of diyng unto Sin after his understanding was opened to see the sinfulness of it so dying gradually to it he came to be dead to it and so he said as before I live yet not I but Christ lives in me The Apostle Peter said to the Jews Vnto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities Acts 3. 26. Mark J. B. thus God sent his Son to bless People in turning them from their Iniquities all Iniquity is Sin all Sin is of the Devil so THEY who are turned from Sin which is the Devil's work are under the Blessing but they that continue in Sin to the end of their dayes who Repent not who forsake not they are under the Curse Christ saith Whosoever committeth Sin is the Servant of Sin John 8. 34. And the Apostle exhorted saying Resist the Devil and he will flee from you James 4. 7. The Apostle John wrote to the Young-men saying Ye are strong the word of God abides in you ye have overcome the wicked One. Now mark J. B. these Young men were strong the Word or Seed of God did abide in them and by his virtue and strength they had overcome the wicked One as he saith and he wrote unto the Fathers saying You have known him that is from the beginning He doth charge NEITHER of these with the act of Sin or committing of Sin at that TIME though they had all sinned for saith he If we say we have not sinned we make him a Lyar and his Word is not in us But these had CEASED from Sin according to the command of the Lord who said Cleanse your Hands ye Sinners and purifie your Hearts ye double-minded c. But to the Little Children he said I write unto you Little Children because your Sins are forgiven you for his Name-sake but also said Little Children these things I write unto you that ye Sin not Shewing hereby that though then all Sin was not vanquish't or overcome in them yet they were to wait to grow up into Christ and in him to Reign over it as the Fathers and Young-men did J. B. here take notice John writes to three states the weakest of which he named his little Children who though they had a love to him and the Testimony born by him yet were they not established in Christ over all Sin and the Devil the author of it as the Aged and strong in Christ were And as for John's saying If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves I say and affirm that his so saying doth no more prove him an actual sinner at that TIME then the Apostle James his saying With the Tongue we curse men proves James a Curser of men at that time which is just no proof at all For Iames writes to the twelve Tribes scattered many of whom were wicked and unruly Tongued and Cursers as he said and he being a natural Jew who sprung from the Loins of Abraham as did all the Jews in that sence he called them Brethren but he was then no Curser but abode in the Doctrine of his Master who said Bless them that Curse you And Iames said That mans Religion is Vain that hath not a Bridle to his Tongue And if James had been a Curser at that time his own Religion had been VAIN and he himself condemned by Christ by the Apostle Paul also for a Hypocrite for judging that in them which HE ACTED HIMSELF but he was a holy Man of God and lived in the Possession of the Good he exhorted them unto and out of the bad he reproved them for So John in the same way and manner speaking in condescention he allowing those his little Children to have some relation to him he being a faithful Labourer and traveller for their conversion saith with respect to them If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves c. John saith that which we have heard and seen declare we unto you that you also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship IS with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ This then is the Message which we have heard of him and declare unto you that God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in Darkness we Lye and do not the Truth but if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light then have we fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin 1 John 1. J. B. Here take notice John had fellowship with the Father and Son and he wrote to the little Children and others That they might have fellowship with him c. which none can have when and while they are committing sin which is the Devils work but may when they have repented and forsaken it Christ said to his Disciples Ye CANNOT serve God and Mammon ye must forsake the one cleave unto the other This Mammon signifies Earthly Riches and if man cannot serve God and them at one and the same time that is set them up as Idols in his Heart then to be SURE Man cannot serve God and the Devil both at one time for Light has no Communion with Darkness nor Christ with Belial nor the Temple of God with Idols Now the words of the Apostle John are as follow He that committeth Sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning for this purpose was the Son of God made manifest that he might Destroy the Works of the Devil These words we truly own as we do the other which are He that is born of God doth not commit sin That is we do as absolutely believe that he that committeth sin is of the Devil when and while he committeth sin which is the Service of the Devil as we believe he that is born of God doth not commit sin In the same Chapter the same John saith Let no man deceive you he that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous And further saith In this the Children of God are manifest and the CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL whosoever doth NOT Righteousness is NOT of God c. 1 John 3. 7 8 9 10. The Apostle Paul