method of Salvation which if accordingly be lieved they should be saved Therefore Christ saith to the Church Rev. 3.3 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 Here we see the Lord calls upon them to put in practice what they have heard Which if they do not he will come upon them at an hour they are not aware of And as the Thief comes to destroy so the Lord will come to the destruction of them that have his word and will not according thereunto wait for him with a prepared heart in love to receive him For he saith If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love John 15.10 and in the 14. v. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you And also the Lord saith John 8.31 If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed And the offer of mercy by Christ is to all that will take his Yoke upon them Matth. 11.29 And the Lord saith Mark 8.34,35,36 Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel the same shall save it For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own Soul This losing of the life for Christ is to be taken under a twofold head Not only when we are called to lay down our life for the defence of the Gospel but also in denying our selves the pleasures delights and advantages of this world for this is spoken in general to all that will save their lives to life eternal According to this the Lord saith John 12.25 He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal And Christ saith Matth. 7.21 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 Matth. 7.24 Christ saith Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them is like to a wise man that built his house upon a rock So if we lay hold upon the promise of life according to the conditions offered by Christ we build upon that rock that will never fail us So as when the greatest storm ariseth that man will securely stand because he is faithful that hath promised But if we believe in Christ for justification yet walk according to our own imaginations and not according to his Commands it is building upon a sandy foundation for which they will have damnation According to the word of the Lord when he sent his Disciples to teach the Doctrine of the Gospel which was the conditions of the Covenant of grace He then said He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16.15,16 That is it was the Gospel which then Christ sent forth his disciples to teach which they that heard were to believe Accordingly the Lord saith Matth. 28.19,20 Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you and lo I am with you to the end of the world That is with the race of the Disciples which is of the remnant he will be with to the end of the World for they are those that none can pluck out of his hand And of whom it is said they follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth And also he will never forsake any whilst they keep his way in observing to do whatsoever he Commands them Now the Belief in Christ that is saving is to be grounded upon the words of Christ that his righteousness is to be applied for the justification of the sinner according to the conditions as it is tendred by him which is in the observing to do whatsoever he commanded them For tho' at the first receiving of the Gospel by his free grace they were saved from their sins by yielding to the conditions that Christ required Yet all of them that were not immediately taken away by death were to be judged according to the performance of those conditions before they could be thought meet to partake of the Crown of life And in every believer is required the faith of God's Elect that in the way of their love and obedience they shall become Heirs to the promise Zacheus desired to be a Disciple of the Lord and he knew in being so his Obedience was required Therefore he said Lord half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have taken any thing from any by false accusation I will restore him fourfold Luke 19.8 But many of us like the Jews of old by their Tradition made the Commands of God of no effect So many with us by their half-faith or believing but half way in that they leave out the conditions upon which life and salvation is offered by Christ have made their faith in Christ of none effect to the saving of their Souls because the promise of life is upon condition of our Obedience In which whosoever remains faithful to the death shall have the Crown of life But for any to think that Christ dyed to give them a liberty to sin it is of such God saith Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Now consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal 50.21,22 This forgetting God is forgetting their duty as to yield Obedience unto his Commands But for our having Faith in the righteousness of Christ separate from good works is dead standing alone James 2.20,21,22 But wilt thou know 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 work and by works was faith made perfect Thereby shewing that a lively and perfect Faith always includs good works As first the inward work upon the will and affections and afterwards good works put in practise Therefore he saith in the 26 verse For as the body without the Spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also And Chap 1. v. 25. But whoso 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 Now why is it term'd the Law of Liberty Because such as walk in obedience thereunto are by Christ set free from the condemning power of sin and death 26. v. If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth
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
School-master to bring them to Christ That is the Law shewed them their insufficiency for none being able to fulfil the moral Law to that perfection as to become justified by it therefore it was as a School-master to bring them to look for justification from another And also the Ceremonial law was as a School master to them whereby that great Sacrifice was typified out to them which only could make attonement for our sins And no sooner was the Lord of life Crucified which was that great Sacrifice which had been all along pointed at but their Sacrifices for sin were abolished And the Believers that by faith in Christ Jesus took hold of the Offer of mercy according as it was offered by Christ which is that all should have the free pardon of their sins upon condition of their future sincere obedience And so they then became justified without the deeds of the Law through the imputation of Christ's Righteousness and their willingness for the future to render their sincere obedience to all Christ's commands and precepts For he that cometh after me Christ saith must deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Matth. 16.24 And whereas the Apostle saith Gal. 3.26 For ye are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus This he speaks of them that had embraced the faith and had received the Spirit And those of us that have taken Christ to have the ruling power in their hearts in hopes of Eternal Salvation are all the Children of God through Faith in Christ Jesus And whereas he saith v. 27. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ This he chiefly speaks of the inward baptism of those that have so put on Christ as to have brought their thoughts and wills into subjection unto Christ Therefore he saith to the Church To as many of them as have so done have put him on And he saith Heb. 11.6 For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Chap. II. The Faith of Abraham Rom. 4.3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 For what saith the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for Righteousness Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace but of debt But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for Righteousness Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works Saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin Cometh this blessedness then upon the Circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision also For we say that Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness How was it then reckoned when he was in Circumcision or in uncircumcision not in circumcision but in uncircumcision By these words it doth appear that when Abraham was received into mercy he might have no works of Righteousness of his own to represent him acceptable with God But as the first Churches were brought out of darkness Heathenism and Error and had not good works of their own but they believing the promise that upon confessing and forsaking their sins they should find mercy by the imputed righteousness of Christ Who according thereunto did thus justifie the ungodly And as Abraham was accepted without the deeds of the Law so Israel and all that were willing to joyn themselves with them were accepted without the deeds of the Law when God brought them out of the Land of Aegypt So the first Gentile Churches for the promise made to Abraham and Christ at their first reception were accepted without works of righteousness or the deeds of the Law And the Angel said of Christ that he should be a light to lighten the Gentiles before he said he should be the glory of his people Israeâ— Luke 2.32 Therefore accordingly there was a great number of the Gentiles called in by the assistance of his Spirit with the tender of his grace Therefore St. Paul speaking of the then times saith in Rom. 3.26 To declare I say at this time his Righteousness That he might be just and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus God is here said to be just in performing his promise to Abraham and Christ concerning the calling in of the Gentiles and in thus justifying them that believed on Jesus which according to the conditions of the tender of his grace took hold of his mercy So we see there was a three-fold day of grace without the deeds of the Law First to Abraham then to his natural seed then to his adopted seed For God carries on all his works in a three-fold way And as under the Law there was a door of mercy set open to all that would take hold of his Covenant So under the Gospel there is a door of mercy set open to all that will take hold of the promise of life according as it is offered by Christ of his free grace which is in the free pardon of all their past sins upon the conditions of their love and sincere obedience for time to come For neither Abraham nor his Natural Seed nor his adopted Seed can any longer have a share in the promises than they persist in their obedience it being the condition of the tender of his grace that for the eternal life promised'd we should yield him obedience For Christ saith Mat 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross daily and follow me For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever will lose his for my sake the same shall save it Luke 9.23,24,25,26 And it is the Faith of Abraham that is required And what was the Faith of Abraham The Faith of Abraham was that he believed God and that was imputed to him for Righteousness And what was that which Abraham believed That which Abraham believed was that God would in the way of his Obedience make of him a great Nation and that in him all the Families of the Earth should be blessed Therefore God calls on him to obey and saith Gen. 12.1 Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy Father's house And I will make of thee a great Nation Here we see he was to put in practice his obedience or else he could not have been heir to the promise Heb. 11.8 By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should afterward receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went So the Lord calls on us to come out of sin self and the eager pursuit of this world and to follow him and we shall find rest to our Souls and he will give us the Crown of Life And if we will not yield to these conditions we must not expect a share in these promises And tho' St. Paul
that time all the wicked will be cut off from the Face of the Earth for he that liveth to that time being blessed signifies that there will be none living but what will then be blessed And that we may be made partakers of this blessedness here is a short Account of the Faith we are to believe For Faith in Christ is to believe that he is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him And those that would be made partakers of this blessedness must go to God by daily and servent Prayer and imploy their Diligence in his service Jam. 2.20,22 For Faith without works is Dead and by works is Faith made perfect And without Holiness no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 12.14 And in Ephes 2.3 to the 10. v. For we are his workmanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before Ordained that we should walk in them It is of the great mercy and rich Grace of God in that he gave the Son his Love a ransome to make satisfaction and Reconciliation for as many as shall come unto God by him and therefore it is of Grace that any is saved and we no sooner Repent and believe if done in sincerity but we are excepted of Christ and then his Righteousness and good Works is imputed to us as though we had been Created so Notwithstanding we had been before great sinners But after we are received into Mercy God hath fore-ordain'd that we should walk in good Works which if we will not we shall have neither part nor lot in this Portion and the Apostle saith It is of Faith that worketh by Love is required and there is no such obedience as that in which the Heart is concern'd A Belief Now to believe in Christ for Salvation is to believe his word for it and if we believe his word for it we believe that Salvation is attainable according to his Word the which we no sooner believe but weare by his word put into his Vineyard to work therein and then begins the Race that we are to run and the Armor is prepared for us to put on in which we are to maintain a continual Combat with the World the Flesh and the Devil and that unto our Lives end we must continue in and hold out and overcome if we ever intend to have the Crown For altho some of these Enemies may get the Advantage at some time yet besure keep so good a guard that when you find any breaking in of the Enemy go to the Lord with Submission Contrition and Acknowledgment begging new Strength from him that you may be able to Conquer these your Enemies and that you may have grace of him so to withstand them as they may not break in upon you And as for our saying that God is merciful and we trust in God yet walk according to our own imaginations and fancies is but to trust God to destroy us for although God is exceeding Merciful yet his Mercies will be distributed according as he hath declared in his word And whereas the Lord saith in Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in at the steight Gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able This hath a special reference to the time of the Lord 's Coming to Judg the World but what reference it hath to the present time is to those that either strive in a false way or else go out in their own strength with a resolution to serve the Lord and amend their Lives When withal they should go to God to beg strength of him to fulfil these their Resolutions and also for his continual Assistance in this their Pilgrimage and if so he hath said he will never leave us nor forsake us for if we do not so in Temptations and Afflictions we shall fall away for the best of men are not able in their own strength to grapple with the World the Flesh and the Devil And for our Example St. Peter putting too much confidence in himself therefore so fouly fell as to deny his Master and how often have some of us known those that have made Vows and Protestations for their amendment but putting confidence in themselves thinking they had Power to perform it without seeking to God for his continual assistance in their performance of these their Resolutions and for want of so doing how soon hath all these Vows and Protestations been Vanquisht But if we take to the means and go in the way then unto them the Lord saith He that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and unto him that knocketh it shall be opened And whereas the Lord saith Many are called but few are chosen That is after they were called so as to be brought into the knowledg of the Truth which afterwards they not imploying their utmost endeavour to make their calling an Election sure in improving the Talent that he hath given them therefore they will not be chosen of him All these controversal points being clearly Answered where I spoke of Election And whereas it is said Revel 21.7.8 He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son but the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Liers shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death Now whereas he here saith the fearful That is those that are mistrustingly fearful of the Promises Power or Providences of God and therefore throw themselves out of the way of his Mercy either by Dispair or presumptiously running into all excess of Riot Now as a mistrustful fear in God shall be punished with Hell Fire so on the contrary them that are fearful by reason of their own weakness least they should miscarry they are promised by the Lord deliverance as in Heb. 2.15 And deliver them who through fear of Death were all their life time subject to bondage Now whereas God saith by Moses Dan. 32.40 that he lives for ever And also it is said of the material Earth Heb. 7.14 that it abideth for ever Yet ever cannot comprehend what is here expressed Psal 104.5,6 But God may sometimes use this method in speaking as to himself and other things by such words as do fall short of expressing the full meaning of that is signified to us by them because he hath a secret in his word which nothing but Prayer Self-Resignation and Meditation can give us a light therein as to the understanding of it and as to the Prophesies time has much explained if we in the forementioned way consider it And we also are to take notice that altho ever is attributed to that which cannot be comprehended by it yet Eternity or Everlasting is never attributed to that which cannot reach it But God is termed Isa 6.9 The Eternal God and the Everlasting Father And it is said Heb. 5.9 Christ is
branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit 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 Herein is my father glorified that ye bear much fruit so shall ye be my disciples As the father hath loved me so have I loved you continue in my love If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my fathers commandments and abide in his love Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you By all these words of the Lord it is fully evident that although we were grafted in him and beloved of him yet if we bear not fruit and keep not his commandments we shall neither remain in him nor be beloved of him Now St. Paul saith to the Galatians Gal. 1.6,8 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel And he saith in the 8. v. But though we or an angel from heaven preach another Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed Now by the words of St. Paul there was deceivers got in among the Church of Galatia which would have brought them to circumcision and made them also to observe the ceremonial law Therefore he saith Gal. 5.2 I Paul say unto you that if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing And again he saith Gal. 2.16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified Now whereas he saith no man is justified by the works of the law That is man is not able to fulfil all the works of the law in that perfection as is required of him Neither can it take away original sin so as a man cannot become justified by it yet they were so far able to fulfill the law as to walk blamelesly in it as in Luke 1.6 And in the Old Testament time accepted of God for it through the then promised Messiah And whereas he saith not by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ That is by the faith that Jesus Christ requires of us And he saith we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ Now whereas he saith they had believed in Christ that includes a belief in his whole revealed will in his word And in his word he tells us if we will enter into life we must keep the commandments Therefore St. Paul by what he here saith hath no intention to take them off the moral law for they cannot be saved if after they are received into the Church of Christ they will not walk in obedience to it But it is the ceremonial law which some false Brethren would have brought in to have burthened the Church withal whereby they would have made the sufferings of Christ of none effect for man's salvation and justification Therefore he saith Gal. 3.1,2,3,4,5,6 O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you This only would I learn of you receive ye the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the flesh Have ye suffered so many things in vain if it be yet in vain Here we see that these Galatians had upon the preaching of the Gospel received the Spirit and that they had suffered many things as the Church of Christ Yet St. Paul was here afraid of their final falling off by reason of deceivers that were got in among them which would have had them trusted to Circumcision Purifications and Sacrifices for Justification and not unto Christ Which Laws were all abolished at the death of Christ he being that only Sacrifice that could make satisfaction to take away sin and all other Sacrifices were but to figure out him who was alone able to make that great atonement with God Therefore St. Paul reproves them sharply that having begun in the Spirit they should think to be made perfect by the flesh And he saith to them in the 5. v. He therefore that ministreth to you the spirit and worketh miracles among you doth he it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith 6. v. Even as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness Faith or belief in us toward God and Christ consists of three distinct parts first a belief in and a practical consent to the conditions upon which life and salvation is offered by God! the second is a belief in the power and faithfulness of the promiser for the thing promised The third is an intire affection with real thankfulness to the promiser for the thing promised Now these three things were found in the belief of faithful Abraham for he left his own Country to follow the Lord and gave himself wholly up to love and obey him as witness the offering of his Son and also judging him faithful that had promised him the Blessing And St. Paul saith to the like effect of himself in the foregoing Chap. Gal. 2.19,20 For I through the law am dead to the law that I might live unto God That is dead to the ceremonial law not to the moral law for he as well as Abraham was conformable to the law of the Lord to do justice and judgment for which the Lord did confirm his promise to Abraham As in the 19. v. Gen. 18.19 God said I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him And St. Paul saith in the 20. v. Gal. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me We see here St. Paul saith he was crucified with Christ That is he was dead to the World and to the pleasures thereof yet he said that he lived yet he says again not I but Christ liveth in me That is he had so wholly given himself up to Christ and brought down his thoughts into subjection unto him so as Christ had the reigning power in him so as the life which he then lived was by faith in the Son of God Which faith was he
had brought down his will into subjection to Christ in hopes to obtain eternal salvation by him and his love a full satisfaction Therefore he saith after he had spoken of the righteousness of Abraham Gal. 3.7,8 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the Children of Abraham And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying in thee shall all the nations be blessed This is as I before told you was upon the publication of the Gospel that all that were converted thereby so as to be brought into the fold of Christ they no sooner so believed but that all original and actual sins that they had aforetime committed were done away and they accepted as perfectly righteous in and through the imputed righteousness of Christ by faith in him And so they were excluded from the curse oâ— the law for all their past sins before conversion done by them Gal. 3.9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham That is if they continue faithful as he did And St. Paul farther saith Gal. 3.13,14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us for 〈◊〉 is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith That is if we have not our spirits brought over into a conformity and suitableness to the spirit of Christ then are we not of this faith and so not delivered from the curse of the law And it is further said Rom. 8.6 For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace And St. Paul also saith Rom. 3.20,21,22 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin That is we cannot fulfill the law to that perfection as to become justified thereby But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested being witnessed by the law and the prophets That is by the law with the paschal Lamb and the bloody Sacrifices by the Prophets in that they did all along Prophesie of him Rom. 3.23,24,25 Even the righteousness of God which is by â—aith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all â—hem that believe for there is no difference 〈◊〉 all have sinned and come short of the â—…ry of God Being justified freely by his â—ace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Whom God hath set forth to â—e a propitiation through faith in his blood 〈◊〉 declare his righteousness for the remission 〈◊〉 sins that are past through the forbearance 〈◊〉 God Here he tells them when their â—ns are to be forgiven that it was their â—ast sins before they were brought into â—e faith of Christ that upon their conâ—ersion were all forgiven them As the â—postle saith Rom. 3.26 To declare I say at this â—ne his righteousness that he might be â—ct and the justifier of him which belieâ—…th in Jesus Whereas he saith that â—e might be just which was in that he â—…t the Son of his love according to his â—…omise and so justified them that belieâ—ed in Jesus which belief is as I beâ—…e proved to you for we are no sooner 〈◊〉 Christ but we must become new Creaâ—…res 2 Cor. 5.17 And he saith Rom. 3.27,28 Where is boasting â—en it is excluded by what law of works â—y but by the law of faith Therefore we â—nclude that a man is justified by faith â—ithout the deeds of the law Here Paul â—akes this conclusion that a man is juâ—…fied by faith without the deeds of the law For he here wrot to the Gentiles that had been given to all sin and idolatry to let them understand how they became justified that it was by faith which faith has as large an extent as I have before shewed you and that it must be a faith like Abrahams And in the 25. v. before-mentioned He there tells them when their sins are forgiven so as they become justified without the works of the law Rom. 3.25 that it is upon their conversion that then their forepast sins shall be forgiven them and that they are then justified by faith without the deeds of the law so that iâ— they are suddenly after taken away by death they shall be accepted through the righteousness of Christ And St. Paul saith Rom. 3.29,30 Is he the God of the Jews only is he not also of the Gentiles Yes of the Gentiles also Seeing it is one God which shaâ—… justifie the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith Now Stepheâ— saith to the Jews Acts 7.51 they were uncircumcifed in heart and ears although they were circumcised in the flesh Now the Gentiles were not circumcised yet they aâ—… said to be circumcised by faith then thaâ— must be in heart and ear by which wâ— may also see that this justifying faith 〈◊〉 such as doth produce a holy life Anâ— the Apostle saith Rom. 3.31 Do we then make voâ—… the law through faith God forbid ye 〈◊〉 establish the law That is none can obey the law with that sincerity delight and desire as those that are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands And St. Paul saith of the outward circumcision Gal. 5.6,7,8 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Ye did run well who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you We also here see that saving faith worketh by love and there is no such obedience as that wherein the heart is engaged And he here tells the Galatians that they did run well who did hinder them that they should not obey the truth And before he told them that they had begun in the Spirit by which it was certainly sure they were in the right And he farther lets them understand that it was not of him that called them that this delusion or perswasion came therefore it was by the wiles of Satan and his Instruments that they foolishly were insnared But St. Paul saith Rom. 2.7,8,9,10,11,12,13 To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath Tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of man that doeth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile For 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 For not
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
that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Now in the Apostle's time there was a twofold way of Christ's being in the Churches for Christ said to his Disciples The Spirit that dwelleth with you shall be in you John 14.17 because unto them was given the Holy Ghost to be in them which afterward also was but with the Churches But Christ in every true Believer must be so in them as to have the ruling-power in their hearts and affections in that their wills must be brought into subjection unto Christ by a complying frame of spirit to his will And thus Christ dwells in every true Believer For whosoever is in Christ in them is required a mind agreeable to the will of Christ that he thereby may rule in the heart Now the Corinthians having embraced the faith in yielding their consent to be obedient unto Christ and had also received the Spirit of whom St. Paul afterward heard of their disorderly walking therefore he writes to them to examine themselves whether they were in the faith and to prove themselves whether Christ were still thus in them or not for if Christ were not thus in them then they had rebelled from their subjection unto him and thereby grieved the Spirit of God and so become Reprobates But those that had never yielded their obedience to God or Christ cannot properly be said to be Rebels or Reprobates because they did never own themselves as servants to them but did all along yield themselves servants to sin for which they shall receive their punishment tho' not as Rebels or Reprobates But Israel whom God had taken into Covenant with himself they likewise were termed Reprobates for their wilful disobedience for which they were rejected of God Jer. 6.28,30 They are all grievous revolters walking with slanders they are Brass and Iron they are all corrupters Reprobate Silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them Now tho' the Lord saith The Spirit like the Wind bloweth where it listeth but it listeth not to blow on them by whom it is grieved and therefore Israel was rejected Now some of them of Corinth were fallen into great iniquity and also had spoken evil of St. Paul and some other Disciples Therefore he saith in verse 6. But I trust that ye shall know that we are not Reprobates As much as to say ye shall know that we have not rebelled from our great Master and therefore not Reprobates For it is said Every one is his servant To whom they yield themselves to obey his servants they are to whom they obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness Rom. 6.16 Chap. XV. The Everlasting Life that is now given the Believer explained JOHN 6.47 Christ saith He that believeth in me hath everlasting life Now we have misapprehended the words of Christ for the everlasting life that is now given the Believer is no otherwise given except to the standing Witness than it was to Adam and Eve in Paradice For when sin in the Soul is pardoned the will changed Christ's Righteousness imputed then it is the everlasting life lost by Adam again takes place of which everlasting life nothing can again disinherit them but wilful and presumptuously sinning or negligently and carelesly departing from the ways of God Therefore Christ saith Rev. 3.2,3 Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God If therefore thou wilt not watch I will come upon thee as a Thief and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee And likewise St. Paul cautions the Church of Corinth fearing lest the Serpent should beguile them as he beguiled Eve 2 Cor. 11.3 For if Adam and Eve had never sinned they had never died Now the Churches thus standing were to take heed lest they should fall and to fight to keep their ground thereby to make their Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. c. 1. v. 10. And St. Paul saith Phil. 2.12,13 It is God that worketh in them both to will and to do according to his own good pleasure That is it was so far the good will and pleasure of God to restore them and renew them by his Spirit and to put them into a capacity of sincere obedience in which capacity they were to use their utmost diligence to work out their salvation with fear and trembling So likewise are we to do the same also For those that received the Talents were to improve that which was given them and he that did not according to his ability improve that which he had received was therefore condemned Matth. 25.15 Chap. XVI A Believer not coming into Condemnation explained CHrist saith John 5.24 He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life These words of the Lord may admit of a two-fold meaning That is whilst the Believer continues believing that Salvation is to be had according to the promise of the Lord in the Gospel in the way of their love and obedience Whilst he thus believeth he shall never come into condemnation But this which the Lord here saith hath its peculiar reference to his second Coming at which time he cometh to judge the world and restore all things as in verse 22. The Judgment is then committed unto Christ at which time as in verse 23. All men shall honour the Son as they honour the Father The which never yet hath been done for the generality of the Jews hitherto have not honoured the Son as they honour the Father Neither by the Turks is the Son honoured as the Father Therefore this the Lord spake for the time when he again shall come That whosoever he shall then find a true practical Believer shall not come into condemnation For then the everlasting life that is now given the Believer will be secured to their persons for at that time they will be put into a capacity never more to offend For not only the raised Saints but the living Believer will then receive the Crown of Life For when the Lord again cometh the Crown of Righteousness is given to all that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 For when an inherent perfect Righteousness is given and the continuance of it secured to us by the establishing of the now-promised new everlasting Covenant then is Life crowned to the Soul This is the Covenant of Promise which now the Believers with Israel are but Heirs to And if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham 's seed and Heirs according to the Promise Gal. 3.29 but when the Lord again comes his other Sheep will be brought into that Fold with them that do securely stand For the Lord saith At that time when there is one Fold there shall be but one Shepherd John 10.16 Therefore this will not be till the Lord again comes But we taking all the Promises as
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
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
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
That which sprang from Adam Secondly That which spâ—ing from the seed of Noah Thirdly That the foundation of the World to come was laid in the seed of Abraham when God brought them out of Egypt and laid them for the foundation of the World to come and all that comes in heirs to that World comes in as the seed of Abraham and from the foundation of that World Christ was figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb and from the foundation of that World was the works of those unbelieving Jews finished when they through their unbelief refused to go to fight for the Land of Canaan And then after this their miscarriage God Elected and Secured a certain Remnant in Christ of that foundation which was then a laying in Israel for the world to come V. It is likewise proved That there was no Election thorough the old World nor till the then time and for Israels sinfulness God did Elect and make choice of the first Gentile Churches and God chose them before the body of Israel but not as to matter of time but as to matter of choice and likeing in God rather to choose them that had ignorantly offended him then them that had willfully disobeyed him as is proved and therefore they are said to be chosen before the Foundation which Foundation was Israel VI. It was the Remnant chosen from among Israel and the first Gentile Churches that had the peculiar calling for from among the Gentiles did God then choose a People to the praise of his Name which were chosen according to the counsel of the will of God for the purpose he had determined which was to receive the Holy Ghost to bear their testimony to the Truth of the Gospel And also that in them in time to come he might shew forth the Exceeding Riches of his Grace These were those that first received the word from the mouth of the Disciples and so believed in Christ thorough their word And it was by the Example of the Elect that all they of Macedonia Achaia believed 1 Thes 1.4,5,6,7,8 These were those for whom Christ in a peculiar manner prayed for as he did not for the World these were those that were Glorified by their Receiving of the Holy Ghost John 14.17 for â—he Holy Spirit which was before but with the Disciples or Church was afterward given to be in the first Churches theâ—… were those of whom St Paul spake of that were Fore-known Called Justified and Glorified by their Receiving the Holy Ghost to be in them and these were those that were ordained to Eternal Life being thus chosen to it who were first to receive the Gospel and who were as a candle lighted up by the Lord to enlighten the World who lay in wickedness and darkness and by the mighty Signs and Wonders Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost part of the World imbraced the Faith in the Apostles time and the Word brought forth fruit in them as it did in the Elect Colos 1.6 Joh. 12.32 1 Tim. 3.16 VII Whereas it is said God daily added to the Church such as should be saved that was spoken to Israel as is proved for of them there was some excluded the then offered Mercy but by the evident witness of the Spirit that was given to the Elect was the Gentile Nations convinced of the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel and so became the seed of Abraham by Chrtst in yielding their assent to the Obedience of the Gospel VIII But when the Nations came to have no love to the Truth that they might be saved but took pleasure in Iniquity God then gave them up to strong Delusions that they might believe lyes and so worship the Beast for as Israel for sin was left to blindness so the Gentile Nations for sin were left to Delusion for when their Rulers would no longer be holden with the cords of the Laws of the Lord then did God permit them to be deceived by the Beast so as to give their power unto him and then did the Beast deprive the Nations of the Gospel by which God calls to his Creatures to walk in Newness of Life that they may become heirs to the Promises IX Whereas it is said The Promise was not to Abraham and his Seed after the Flesh but the seed in Christ and Isaac was the seed to whom the Promise was made by whom the natural seed of Abraham is included as well as the Adopted But neither to the Natural Seed nor the Adopted Seed that live after the will of the Flesh are they to whom the Promise belongs but to them that live according to the Spirit in Obedience to the Word are them to whom the promise is made and the promise is That in time to come God will establish his Everlasting Covenant with them the which crowns Life to the Soul X. Whereas it is said That Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for Righteousness And that which Abraham believed was that in the way of his Obedience he should become heir to the Promises and therefore he left his Countrey his Kindred and his Fathers House and for the Promise sake God made to Abraham That he should be the Father of many Nations therefore when he first took the Gentiles into Covenant with himself he did then declare his Righteousness in being just to his Promise which he had made to Abraham in then Justifying them that believed in Jesus For the Gentiles believing in Christ that Salvation was to be had by him according to his word which was by taking his Yoke upon them in a willingness to render their sincere Obedience to him and thereupon they were Justified of God from their past sins in and thro' Christ by their willingness to obey him for the time to come and the Reward promised was to be received both by Abraham and his seed according as they should afterward perform the conditions XI Whereas Christ saith In believing that he is the Son of God is the Rock on which he built his Church and his Church is not only his Elect but likewise all them that obey him against whom the Gates of Hell shall not prevail For he is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 For the Faith that God requireth of us is to believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that dilligently seek him Heb. 11.6 For a Believer is no longer a Believer than he believes Salvation is to be had by Christ according as he hath declared in his word which is in the way of his Obedience no more than a Righteous Man is a Righteous Man in the day that he commits Iniquity And Good Works is proved by the word to be a foundation for us to build our hopes of Salvation upon as well as the Merits of Christ 1 Tim. 6.18,19 James 2.19,24 Ye see then how that by Works a Man is Justified and not by Faith only For tho
Jer. 15.6 I am weary with Repenting Whereas God saith Mal 3.6 I am the Lord I Change not This God spake as to his Attributes as his Justice Mercy and Truth in which he is an Unchangable Being and therefore for his promise sake it is that the Sons of Jacob are not consumed for in time to come they are to inherit the Land But when God promiseth a Blessing without condition then he Repenteth not For God is not a man that he should Lye neither the Son of Man that be should Repent Hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good for God hath promised to Bless Israel and they shall be Blessed and then will he behold no Iniquity in Jacob when he hath purged all Iniquity from them For both in the Old and New Testament those things which are to come are mentioned as though they were already past or present so accordingly St. Paul in the Hebrews Expostulating about the Covenant sometimes expresseth himself as though it were already done that is Establisht but by the whole scope of his words he doth fully declare to the contrary but that they were then given the Holy Ghost which did bear witness with their Spirit they they were chosen to be heirs of that promised Covenant but if they did again willfully Sin and so do despite to the Spirit of Grace then there remained for them no more sacrifice for Sin but a fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation for if they sinned wilfully under the greater Light they fell under the greater Condemnation for although among the Hebrews were the Remnant that was secured by a promise from Christ that none should pluck them out of his hand but they stood not by the establishing of the Everlasting Covenant but by a promise from Christ that they should not only be heirs to it but inheritors of it and when the Everlasting Covenant is Established then by that Covenant Blessedness is secured as well to the Body as the Soul for then the Souls of the Raised Saints will be again United to their Bodies and blessed in them and so Israel and the True Believers will not only then by that Covenant have an Inherent Perfect Righteousness but they will then be freed from Sickness Sorrow Want and the troubles that are now in this Life and in the time to come in which God will manifest his power he will then also make his People Israel a willing People then it is he will establish his Everlasting Covenant with them for the good of them and their Children after them Jer. 32.39 For this promised Covenant was to be established with Abraham and his seed together in their Generation Gen. 17.7,8 And when the Lord again comes to Restore all things he will then make Mount Sion an Eternal Excellency and the Joy of many Generations Isa 60.15 And then not only the Remnant but likewise the body of the Natural Seed of Jacob will then be the Lords Elect which he will gather from the four winds into which he hath driven them XVII The Christians of the Gentile Race that comes in by Christ to be of the seed of Abraham were all termed heathen in the Old Testament as is proved so as the most severe stroke threatned in the Gospel will fall on the Christians that shall be found in Rebellion and Darkness at that day for the Law and Gospel speak but to them that are under it therefore they are the World that will be condemned by it that will not live in Obedience to it Israel is not reckoned with the World therefore the Lord ordered Proclamation to be made to the end of the world Say ye to the daughter of Sion Behold thy Salvation cometh behold his Reward is with him Isa 62.11 Thereby shewing the power of this world will be taken away when their Salvation cometh XVIII In the Word there is mention made of Three Evers Three Times Three Generations Therefore Christ said he would come before this Generation passeth away and the Three Worlds spoken of is the old World this World and the World to come unto whom the Blessing is promised of the establishing the Everlasting Covenant which crowns Life to the Soul not only to the Raised Saints but to Israel and all that long for his Appearing and according to his Word in an obedient frame wait for him Therefore St. Paul exhorteth To lay up in store a good foundation against the time to come 1 Tim. 6.19 XIX There is likewise figarative Heavens and Earth spoken of in scripture And the Lord because of Israels sinfulness for which they were left to blindness he therefore spake to them in parables all these things being now at the appointed time rightly understood it turns the scene whereby the Vision of the coming of the Lord is made so plain that he that runs may read it And when the Lord comes the true Christian will be gathered as the Lord hath declared and Israel will then be gathered according as God by his Prophets to them hath revealed whose testimony they have received and then will the Lord gather in others with them XX. And now the Lord according to his word that at the end of the time knowledge should be increased Dan. 12.4 And that at eveninâ— time it shhould be light Zach. 14.4 And that at the end of the time the Vision should speak Hab. 2.3 Hath now made his promise good in the discovery of the great and hidden mysteries in hls word which we have not rightly understood are now made so plain that there is no more room for Mistake and by a speedy Reformation and owning the whole Truth we may not only save our selves but thereby great part of the Christian World may be awakened to come out from the Darkness which they are now under XXI And it is said How shall a Young man Cleanse his way But by taking heed thereto according to the word of God which is a Light to the Path and Lanthorn to the Feet and by which he calls to us to amend our lives And the like is said in the New Testament He that looketh into the perfect Law of liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the work this is the man that shall be Blessed in his deeds James 1.25 And in that it is termed the perfect Law is because it is a perfect and upright rule by which we are to walk and the Law of liberty because upon the wills consenting to yield sincere obedience to all Gods Commands and Preceps such are thereby set clear at liberty from the condemning power of their past sins and shall be Blessed in the promised reward if they be not forgetfull hearers but doers of the work And St. Paul said to the Heathen God is not far from every one Acts 17.27.28 And to them to whom God hath given his word he hath promised that