and not esteemed of in the sight of God but yet we cannot understand by this that our VVorks are to be so perfect that the Law must not be broken for then what would the Blood of Christ signify to us VVho is it that ever liv'd so holy but every Day breaks the Law tho against his Desire But more of this in another Place As to the Scripture which seems to plead for Perfection of good VVorks and Faith in this Life or no Salvation which is that Vbelievers Fearful and all Lyars shall have their Portion in the Lake Rom. 21. 8. points that such Perfection is given after this Life otherwise who shall be saved this will end the Confusion that is preach'd Thus I have given an uniting of the Scripture as to Faith and Works And for the better understanding this I proceed to the Definition of a justiing Faith But first let me tell you Perfection in good Works is taught to be in this Life and so the Error of the Galatians is on us who expected Justification by the Law for they say if we repent we shall be forgiven which I grant but that which is the Mistake and brings us under Bondage again is that they allow not Repentance sufficient without also a forsaking of the Sin repented of and Men not always finding it in their Power so to do fall into Despair So that we had need of a more comfortable Doctrine to encourage us in that which is good and to render us Satisfaction For I find from the Example of the Primitive Christians that sold their Estates and gave it to the Poor that Love draws more than Fear compels A Definition of a Justifying or Saving Faith A Justifying or Saving Faith consists in three parts 1. To believe that Christ suffered for Sin without doubting of it 2. To love him to that perfection of Love as not to fear but to be assured of our Salvation 3. To delight in good works tho we cannot be so perfect in them as to keep the whole Law of Moses or Moral Commands of Christ yet having this Faith Good Works would be as was in the Primitive Faith when they sold their Possessions and distributed to those that wanted far surpassing what is now practised So that believing without doubting assurance of Salvation and good Works make up one Faith for Justification And if one of these three parts be wanting the Faith is not Justifying and so by consequence nor Saving Whence all three parts put together make up such a Faith as we must have either in this World or the World to come or no Salvation Proofs of this Faith in every part of it 1. He that doubts whether Christ suffered or not doth not believe for he that doubteth is damned is he eats because he eateth not of Faith Rom. 14. 23. questioning the lawfulness or unlawfulness of the Meat he eats which shews that a doubting Faith is a damning Faith But in objection to this we say Christ healed the Man that said Lord I believe help my Vnbelief So he healed all that were diseased of their Bodies that came unto him whether Believers or Unbelievers yet without this Faith there 's no Salvation And as to his not quenching the smoaking Flax that 's in some for it 's certain that Israel in part are concluded in Unbelief born to die in Unbelief And indeed the Faith now in general is a doubting wavering seeking Faith and Books are now writ to prove the Scriptures the word of God there being so little credit given to them 2. The second part of this Faith is assurance of Salvation It is neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision that availeth but Faith that works by love Gal. 5. 6. Hence 't is a Faith that works by love that is saving or available and this Faith which works by Love is not made perfect if Fear be not extinguished as 't is writ He that fears is not made perfect in love 1 John 4. 18. Now if 1 question whether God loves me so well as to save me I am in fear and where there is Fear there is Torment John 4. 18. So that it 's evident a Faith which works by Love is made perfect by a casting out of Fear which cannot be till there be an assurance of Salvation this being so clearly proved proves the first part of Faith to be true that doubting is not believing for who can be sure of his Salvation that doubts of Christ's Suffering 3. The third part of this Saving Faith is to delight in good Works tho we cannot be so perfect in them in this Life as to keep the whole Law of Moses and Moral Commands of Christ The Error that the foolish Galatians were under is the same as now 〈◊〉 which was that they sought Justification by being so 〈◊〉 good Works that they were able to keep the Law or 〈…〉 committing Sin as if we must first keep the Law 〈…〉 before we can have an Interest in Christ As 〈…〉 â—o absurd as to say they can live without 〈…〉 But Paul tells them he preached the Gospel to them 〈…〉 the Flesh and in the next Verse he calls this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Flesh which was Sin And in that 〈◊〉 so 〈…〉 they must have seen it because Paul 〈…〉 this his Temptation in the Flesh which theâ—efoâ—e must be a visible Sin or Temptation Gal. 4 13 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may go far and not be perfect 1 Cor. 13 'T is â—â—â—rity that is the tryal of a Christian's Faith and it never faileth The 〈◊〉 satisfaction of future Joys opens the Hearts of Men but Unbelievers hold it best to be sure of keeping what they have here for fear of not being recompenc'd hereafter But I would not have you mistake the Apostle when he saith Though I bestow all my 〈◊〉 to the Poor and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing â— Paul doth not say he that giveth his Goods to the Poor for Christ â— sake hath not Charity that cannot be but to give them in Oâ—â—â—uâ—ation or Pride For Charity covereth a multitude of Sins 1 Pet. 4. 8 and true Charity sussereth long or is patient and is kind and eâ—vieth not â—â—aunteth not it self is not puffed up and doth not unseemly beleave it self especially towards the Poor as if they were not his Fellow-Creatures Paul preach'd Sin unavoidable so that if he had found in himself that he could have avoided it altogether he could not have let his Experience and Doctrine so contradict each other for in Rom. 7. 21 he thus writes I find then a Law that when I would do good evil it present with me Again ver 18. to will is present with me but 〈◊〉 to perform that which is good I find not and much more in that Chapter to the same purpose And indeed the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit that we cannot do the things we would Gal. 5. 17. But iâ— objection to this we read Paul got the Victory 1 Cor. 15. â—7
carry no other Sense than its one literal Sense and that is Satisfaction enough for us And so I leave you to understand that Text fully in these Books and then you 'll be better satisfied but the Mysteries of Divinity or the ways of God are so far above our ways though they be made apparent to the Vnderstanding and Experience yet may appear Fabulous to your Faith for sometime and it may be in this World for ever as it pleases God to enlighten your Mind As to my Sheet concerning Elijah I find they that know least make most Noise and by such I have reeeived Abuses enough and shewed their malice to forsake my Shop But what would People have me to do Had they bad such Visions and such fulfilling of their Expectations as I have had mentioned in that Dispute with the Athenian Society Could they with a safe Conscience go back Especially when the Learned fly from Argument as if they were afraid to discourse me But herein will lie some Satisfaction if no Man can be found that is able to discourse me then I hope I have the mere reason to suspect my self to be that Person but if I were able as I know nothing to the contrary as yet to overthrow the whole World in Divinity I should never believe my self to be that Elias except I also lived to see the Second Coming of Christ In the mean time I put forth these Books to try the Learned and to cause a Preparation against that Day but whither 't will answer my Expectation I am not certain however I must try it and if it fails me I have been no Impudent Affirmer but modest in what I have writ and have to the best of my Knowledg kept close to the Truth and better cannot be expected from me whereby my Conscience is perfectly satisfied let things go how they will and if there be any Evil let the Learned answer for that whose place it is to satisfy Men in their Errors and Doubts and once more I now try them being the last I intend to write and so I take my leave of them except they answer me and others will be at the Charges of Printing my Re-answers for my Ability will not do it The last things that I can understand by the Scriptures is the Preparation Elias is to make to meet Christ in Love at his second Appearance for the turning a Curse from the Earth Mal. 4. and then follows the second coming of Christ As for the calling of the Jews it lyes somewhat dubious in Scripture whither it will be immediately before Christ's coming or at his coming Our Saviour saith When I come shall I find Faith on Earth Luke 18. 8. Now if the Jews are called before he come I should be apt to think there would be Faith upon Earth otherwise how are they called Besides the Deliverer that is to come out of Sion to turn Iniquity from them must certainly be by Faith and who can give them Faith but Christ See Rom. 11. 26. Again the Generation of the Jews are not to pass away till all these things be done Math. 24. 34. that is in the foregoing verses till the Son of Man come in the Clouds with Power and great Glory this Generation is not to pass away Observe then if the Jews should before the coming of Christ turn Christians they would not regard their Geneology and so their Generation would pass away so that I cannot discern that their calling will be till the the second coming of Christ I shall not detain you here any longer but I hope this Age will not altogether imitate the blind Zeal of the Jews who persecuted that Doctrine they were not able to answer But already my Suffering in this case in forsaking my Shop that have so great a Family proves their Knowledge as little as their Charity which last is one Proof of Apostolick Doctrine And thus in all Ages hath God confounded the Wisdom of the World T. M. An Addition to the Clavis Aurea for a more perfect Satisfaction in Salvation after fifteen years tryal of the Learned THE Scripture tells us in one place That we are saved by Grace through Faith and not of Works least any should boast Eph. 2. 8 9. but in another place contrary to this We are not saved by Faith alone but also by Works James 2. 24. In another place by the Works of the Law shall no Flesh be justified Gal. 2. 16. But in another place contrary to this all Vnbelievers Fearful and whosoever maketh a Lye have their Portion in the Lake of Brimstone and Fire Rev. 21. 8. which argues we must be saved by perfection in good works I need not tell you the insatisfaction in these things insomuch that we are at a Nonplus to know on what terms our Salvation doth depend whether entirely on Faith or entirely on Works or partly on Faith and partly on Works or entirely on Grace So that the Scripture is a Book sealed up and he that is not able to overthrow all Men of the contrary Judgment to his can be no Minister of it As it came by Inspiration so Inspiration must unfold it they were never yet laid open for Paul writ the Wisdom of God in a Mystery 1 Cor. 2. 7. and there hath been no Spiritual Man to do it since and the Scripture speaks but of one to come to which I refer you to my Disputation with the Athenian Society concerning Elias in Mal. 4. By the word Grace I mean a Free-gift as if Salvation were given us we not meriting it by any Free-will in us VVhen I say Moses Law I mean not only the Moral Commands of Moses as the Ten Commandments and the like but also the Moral Commands of Christ which are the same as the Law only some of them more difficult to be obeyed as for example if the Law saith Thou shalt not commit Adultery Christ saith if we but lust after a Woman we commit Adultery in the Heart If the Law saith Thou shalt not covet Christ bid the Rich Man to sell all he had and to give to the Poor This being understood I shall now open what I have said concerning on what terms our Salvation doth depend when it is said by the works of the Law shall no Flesh be justified it is without we keep the Law of Moses so entirely as not to break it in one point for then we are guilty of the whole James 2. 10. in that Sense that it will condemn us and Repentance will not fetch us back to be justified by that Law being once broken but a Sacrifice or Christ must make up what of that Law we are not able to keep when it is said we are not saved by Faith alone but also by Works it is to be understood that Faith is dead without Works James 2. 26. So that Faith which works not by Love from whence flows good VVorks is not a living but dead Faith
AN ADDITION TO THE Clavis Aurea WITH An Enquiry upon what Terms the Salvation of Man doth depend whether entirely on Faith or entirely on Works or whether partly on Faith or partly on Works or whether entirely on Grace or Free-gift By THOMAS MOOR Author of the Clavis Aurea living in St. Thomas's in Southwark God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise and weak things of the World to confound the mighty 1 Cor. 1. 27. London Printed in the Year 1696. TO THE READER MY Clavis Aurea lies unanswered before that Book was printed I was so careful to send a such-like Copy to Dr. Stillingfleet another to Mr. Laughton at Trinity-Colledge in Cambridge and the same Copy that is now in print to Mr. Bradford now Minister of Bow but all of them refused to discourse me the reason I could never know of their Refusal Dr. Stillingfleet would not flatly deny me but tyred me out in coming after him This Clavis Aurea now in print I sent one to Mr. Vincent and after some time I visited him with two Friends with me but he positively refused to discourse one Once I visited Cambridge having chosen the Trade of a Barber preferring it before the tempted Life of a Lawyer to which my Parents designed me where having that opportunity as I Trimm'd them I put Questions to the Schollars by which and their Answers I was well Satisfied of the Strength of my Argments Most of the Ministers about where I live have had that Clavis Aurea but none of them have been so Charitable if they thought me in an Error to endeavour to convince me Alas Disputation is ten Thousand Times beyond Preaching for Men by Reading and Study may be well Skill'd in the Moral part of the Scriptures and pay from them preach to the World seemingly very good Doctrine and be cryed up for excellent Preachers but Disputation tryes a man to the quick it was the usual Custom of Paul in all places he came to to dispute and to enter into the Jews Synogogues and dispute them nay in the Market-Place Acts 17. 17. and he disputed daily in the School of Tyrannus Acts 19. 9. and received all that came unto him so that he sought Disputation net Shamming them of pleading Excuses and turning them out of Doors for fear of his Reputation and consequently his Interest I would have all men take especial notice that 't is a true thing that Custom in a false Religion hath diverted Men from the belief of what cannot be overthrown whereas its safer to rely on such unanswerable Proofs and that renders us excusable though the Tenets in themselves should prove erronious since we close with the Truth as near as we can and better cannot be expected from us but to adhere to what we cannot by Argument maintain is altogether Sinful having no Plea or Reason to give In Scripture Divinity was ever a Free-gift and could not be obtain'd by study and was given to Labouring and Tradesmen as the poor Fishermen and Paul a Tent-maker who work'd with his Hands to maintain himself and left it for an Example to others who now do not follow the Example of him that was able to reach them all 2 Thess 3. 8 9. As the Clavis Aurea hath not yet been answered so I account this likewise will prove unanswerable because I have followed an infallible way to ground my Tenets upon Thus All Scriptures are certainly true and as they are true they cannot contradict one another Really for then some of them must of necessity be false they may seemingly as they do contradict one another but not really because they are all true and nono false if rightly interpreted from the Originals and the Originals be also true but I take them as they lie in the last Interpretation which Interpretation if any pretend to contradict the only way to be satisfied of that is by these Books I have writ by veiwing their Harmony which if they were not rightly interpreted from their true Originalâ— in what I write they could not be united in Sense one with another From this Rule I make choice of some place of Scripture for our satisfaction in Salvation that will admit of no other Exposition than its own literal Sense and besure no other Scripture must contradict that Scripture really because they are all true hence I make my choice of Rom. 11. 25 26. Blindness in part is happened to Israel till the fulness of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israel shall be saved I find this Text will admit of no other Exposition than its own literal Sense and Experience confirming its literal Sense true of their Blindness to continue so long which makes this literal Sense an infallible Exposition For Israel in part do die in Vnbelief and are born to die in Vnbelief since their Vnbelief is to contine so long till the Fulness of the Gentiles be come in which could not be for any Sin they had committed because they were not born and were they to have Free-will they could not be foreseen to contiune so long in Vnbelief which Exposition is infallible as in this Book I prove more largly I must of necessity then since all Scripture is true and none false bring all Scriptures of that concern to concur with it and they must not contradict it for then some Scriptures must be false but this will appear more easy to your Vnderstanding in reading this Book I must likewise tell you that all Scripture of Salvation that carry a double Sense must be brought to this of Rom. 11. 25. otherwise they prove nothing in themselves as carrying a double Sense so all Arguments that carry a double Sense I reject because then there will be no end of Controversy As for Example The Worm that never dies and the Fire that is never quench'd Isa 66. 24. may be brought to signify a sting of Conscience and a real Fire after this Life or may be taken thus when united to Rom. 11. 25. when a new Heaven and Earth is made as appears in the Texts before then all Flesh that is all Men shall come and worship before me from one new moon and from one Sabbath to another that is always and shall go forth and look upon the Carcases of the Men that have sinn'd against me c. Now if all Flesh come and worship before him who are left for them to go forth and look upon but as they have been the Children of the Flesh and now in Glory they shall consider themselves and abhor their former condition in the Flesh and so by the Worm that never dies and by the Fire that is never quench'd may be signified the Wrath of God excluding these very Persons Bodies eternally from Heaven This last Exposition of that Text then will appear the truest and let the Exposition be what it will it must not contradict that Text of Rom. 11. 25. which will
but there he saith it was through Christ that God gave him the Victory â—â—â— Sin and Death that is in reference to another World otherwise we must conclude he never died here in the Flesh The Spirit of Christ moved in him to do that which was good yet he teaches that he had a 〈◊〉 Temptation in the Flesh and preach'd a Doctrine suâ—eableâ—â—◠〈◊〉 and suppose he got the Victory over Sin how should the Jews over their Unbelief In John 3. it 's said He thaâ— obideth in Christ sinneth not And in John 1. 8. If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves c. This is the same as Paul said ' T is no more I that do it but Sin that is in me he did commit Sin but not willingly with a desire to commit it But alas â—â— those that have not a Beam in their Eyes may by reading what is commanded and how far short they come of it easily discern they cannot live one Day without committing one â—in or another Now let us see how far short Men come of the Works of those that had this Faith we find St. Paul work'd to maintain himself caring not to burden the Church 2 Thess 3. 8 9 and left it for an Example Where the Holy Ghost was evidently given that Comforter Joh. 16. 7. that sweetness of the Powers Above that gave them assurance of Salvation and ravished them with such Celestial transporting Joys without which we may be said to be in Hell that this World and all its Glory was as dung Phil. 3. 8. They sold their Possessions and distribute◠〈◊〉 their Brethren the Christians wanted and accounted nothing their own they possessed Acts 4. 32. and this was easy to them that had a saving Faith or assurance of Salvation whereby the Love of God was spread abroad in their Hearts but these are hard 〈◊〉 these Days Thus have I ended the Description of Saving Faith without which a Man cannot be saved so that if there were such a loâ—â— Place of Torment as a Hell-Fire after this Life who can by his Faith escape it But I have proved in my Clavis Aurea and will make it more plain here that Faith is given 〈◊〉 this Life and therein must rest our Satisfaction for little Signs of Faith are now and I pass by the miraculous Cures oâ— the Apostles and their raising the Dead as Signs of their Faith But if Covetousness Pride Envy c. be Signs of Faith we see enough rich Apparel and out-vying one another instead of searching out and visiting distressed Familes 'T is 〈…〉 themselves give good Examples in this kind 〈…〉 may be they will not let their right Hands know wha◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hands do An opening of some Obscure Places in the Clavis Aurea In Page 6 and 7. it 's prov'd that Blindness in part â—â— happened â—o Israel till the Fulness of the Gentiles be came in Rom 11. 25. But to be more plain if this Unbelief was not ordained for them and to continue till the Fulness of the Gentiles were come in How came St. Paul to know this And such Unbelief could not be foreseen if Free-will was intended for these Men multitudes of them not being born The Fulness of the Gentiles is when the Jews are called evident from the Text viz Blindness in part is happened unto Israel till the Fulness of the Gentiles be come in The Fulness of the Gentiles also is when the Deliverer comes out of Sion to turn Iniquity from Jacob Rom. 11. 26. which Iniquity cannot be turned away but by Faith for as long as Unbelief remains upon them their Iniquity remains And so long as Jerusalem lies trodden under-foot the Fulness of the Gentiles are not come in as 't is writ Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled Luke 21. 24. From this then we must allow that multitudes of the Jews were ordained before they were born to die in Unbelief and amongst such multitudes the grossest Sins have been committed Yet the Scriptures tell us All Israel shall be saved they being Enemies also to the Gospel yet are elected and beloved Rom. 11. 25. 28. All the Reason then that the Jews are broken off through Unbelief can be no other as the Scripture tells you but that the Gentiles might be grafted in Rom. 11. 17. And so Sin and Unbelief is not the Original Cause that all are not Israel which are of Israel 't is only a Distinction between the Children of the Flesh and Children of the Promise As 't is writ the Children of the Flesh are not the Children of God but the Children of the Promise are accounted for the Seed Rom. 9. 8. The very Text it self tells you they are termed Israel though they are born to die in Unbelief in that it saith Blindness in part is happened unto Israel till the Fulness of the Gentiles be come in Rom. 11. 25. It 's but rational then that these unavoidable Vnbelievers should be saved and the Scripture agrees with it and besides Unbelief is a Cause of Sin as for want of a Saving Faith Men are covetous proud c. having only a form of Godlinâ—ss These Unbelievers and Sinners are notwithstanding termed Israel and the following Text saith All Israel shall be saved ver 26. So that the Children of the Promise must be all Men in the Spirit in their Glorified Estate tho they are the grossest Unbelievers and Sinners in the Flesh and this is very easy to believe since there is no Free-will in Faith and Unbelief is the Cause of gross Sins committed And in Sin there is not Free-will but some are made Vessels of Wrath as Judas to betray and some are made Vessels of Mercy as Paul who was created in Christ unto good Works which God before ordained be should walk in them Eph. 2. 10. And since such Examples are I would know the Reason why we must ascribe more Free-will to our Selves than the Jews Judas and Paul And why must not we draw a General Rule from these Particular Examples as well as Paul did from the Example of Pharoah's hardness of Heart Therefore saith Paul hath he Mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardens Rom. 9. 18. They being then such Unbelievers ordained to Unbelief and born to die in Unbelief yet are saved there can be no Hell Fire after this Life considering also that amongst such multitudes that die in Unbelief they have committed the grossest Sins But to proceed farther the Promise extends it self as 't is as reasonable to all Nations nay to all Families of the Earth we see Sin nor Unbelief being no more a hindrance to its Extension than the premeditated Lye of Jacob was to the receiving of the Blessing saying I am Esau thy first-born Gen. 27. The Promise is this Gen. 26. 4. I will multiply thy Seed as the Stars of Heaven c. and in thy Seed shall all Nations of the Earth be
a Figure of Election To the uncharitable Goats he bids Depart ye Cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels But to the charitable Sheep he saith Come ye blessed of my Father receive ye the Kingdom of Heaven prepared for you from the Foundation of the World c. It 's plain this is a Parable and which must we realy upon Parables that carry a double Sense or Texts of Scripture that Experience makes its Exposition infallible which if granted as cannot be denyed but that we must adhere to an infallible Exposition and all Scriptures being true and none false and so must not contradict one another really all Scriptures then that carry a double Sense must be united to such Scriptures whose literial Sense Experience and Reason confirms which is Rom. 11. 25 and 26 verses Do we think then that Christ will come and sit upon a Throne judging the World when he hath already declar'd the Salvation of all Israel which as touthing the Promise are all Men The manner of the second coming of Christ is in another manner exprest in 1 Thess 4. 14 15 16 17 18. God will bring them with him which sleep in Jesus and those that remain shall be caught up with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air and Paul bids them comfort one another with these words We see then Men receive their Doom as they Die in that those that are asleep in Jesus God brings with him and in that he bids them comfort themselves with these Words there would be little comfort in a Judgment that one Man shall be cast into a Hell-Fire and another Sav'd like as Men in our Courts of Judicature one condemn'd to be hang'd before a sitting Judge and another sav'd But here those that remain are caught up to meet the Lord in the Air not that there is a sitting and trying of Men for then either by Works or Faith who shall be sav'd but Paul makes this Parable exactly agree to Rom. 11. 25 26. as it is unfolded by Rom. 9. 8. the Children of the Flesh these are not the Children of God but the Children of the Promise are accounted for the Seed For in 1 Cor. 15. ver 42. to the end of the Chapter where is a Distinction between the Children of the Flesh and Promise and particularly in the 50th Verse Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven And it follows in a Moment in the twinckling of an Eye the Dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be chang'd So that this Parabolical or Sitting Judgment figurates God's secret Decree of everlastingly destroying the Children of the Flesh by changing them and so as they were the Children of the Flesh they are punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of God 2 Thess 1. 9. the everlasting Fire here is his wrath everlasting against the Children of the Flesh as it is against Death which he destroyed by raising it to life and so it will agree to Rom. 11. 25 26. which it must not contridict and that 's our Satisfaction Have any yet pretended to define this Hell-Fire which Spirits are said to be cast into Will Elementary Fire burn them Dr. Tillotson in his 35th Sermon saith That Hell-Fire may be threatned but not intended whereby it 's evident he can prove no such real Place nor any Person cast into it Too many say there 's no eternal Death but Hell-Fire what then did Christ deliver us from I answer Call the Soul what you please it 's created and so God can reduce it to its first nothing or not created and then it can be nothing but God himselâ— which he cannot kill nor burn And there cannot be a Seperation between the Spirit of God and God no more than you can seperate the Rays of the Sun from the Sun What I have writ is more true if we consider that the Punishment of Vnbelievers is Damnation in Mark 16. 16. And in Rev. 21. 8. Vnbelievers are cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone Yet Men are born to die in Unbelief as I have proved How then shall either the Jews avoid this Lake by their Unbelief or we by our Faith which so far comes short of a Saving Fatth But I find another thing in Scripture that terrible things are express'd to come upon Earth far more terrible than any Man ever saw in a literal Sense as can we think that God would give Power to a Beast to make Fire come down from Heaven to deceive Men which must needs do it and to give him Power to overcome the Saints and to cause all that would not worship him neither to buy or sell whereby they must be starv'd and to be kill'd without they worship him and receive his Mark and then to cast those Men that are thus compell'd and deceiv'd to receive his Mark into a real Lake of Fire and Brimstone Rev. 13. and 14. this being not consonant to the Sweetness of the Powers Above We must conclude then by this Fire is meant the Wrath of God cutting off all Men in the Flesh or the Troubles of this Life we are all cast into tho some more than others We find other terrible Places which tell us of a smoaking Pit and out of it came Locusts upon the Earth and had the Power of Scorpions not to kill Men but to torment them five Months But who ever saw such or who ever saw the third part of Men kill'd by Horses with Heads like Lyons or by Smoak and Fire and Brimstone that came out of their Mouths Rev. 9. Figures then in Scripture are more terrible than their Substance they denote And upon other Occasions we find the Figures greater than the Substance they figurate as the rejoycing in Solomon's Days That the Earth rent with the sound 1 Kings 1. 40. and Silver was as the Stones 1 Kings 10. 27. and the Men of Benjamen sting Stones to a Hairs breadth and not miss Judges 20. 16. and in John 21. Toat he supposed the World would not contain the Books that could be written of what Christ did We read of Sodom and Gomorrha are set forth for an Example suffering the vengeance of eternal Fire Jude 7. and Peter explains this 1 Pet. 4. 6. For this Cause was the Gospel preacht to them that are Dead that they might be judg'd according to Men in the Flesh but live according to God in the Spiâ—it for me to unite all terrible places of Scripture to Rom. 11 c. would swell this into a large Volum but they cannot contradict that Text of Rom. 11. 25 26. for then some Scriptures must be true and some false But I say iâ— there â—e a Hell-Fire let 's see how we shall escape it Where 's our Saving Faith or how shall Israel escape it and as to our works can we have no Satisfaction till we can live without commiring Sin This would be hard indeed and so we have a Gospel in