Others are set down in the Kingdom of righteousness and peace and joy in Christ Jesus As the Apostles and many believers or Saints were in the primitive times For which they magnifyed the Lord for his rich mercy towards them in raising them up and making them sit together in Heavenly places or Heavenly things in Christ Jesus Eph. 2.6 2. Now consider further that these who in earnest seek the Kingdom of God or are already entred into it doe not alwayes make the greatest shew or appearance in the World They are like that Mercant man that having found treasure hid in a Field goeth and hideth it lest he should be robbed thereof and for joy thereof he goeth and selleth all he hath and buyeth that Field He boasteth not of his treasure but carefully purchaseth it So it is with many that are seekers and possessors of the Kingdome of God And therefore are not made so visible in the World though they live in the World Nay many times the World looks upon them as fooles or conceited People not seeing the Heavenly treasure which they pursue or possesse but afterwards shall be made to see it to their amazement Read Wisdom of Solomon chapter the 5th which sheweth how the wicked shall wonder at the strangeness of the Salvation of the righteous beyond all that they looked for Some may be without that in their Books it being in the Apocrypha therefore I shall here give you part of it beginning at the last verse of the 4th chap. to the 10th verse of the 5th where Solomon shews the different end of the righteous and wicked And when they cast up the accouts of their sins they shall come with fear and their own iniquities shall convince them to their face Then shall the rightous man stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him and made no account of his labours When they see it they shall be troubled with terrible fear and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his Salvation so far beyond all that they looked for And they repenting and groaning for anguish of Spirit shall say within themselves this was he whom we had sometimes in derision and a proverbe of reproach We fools accounted his life madness and his end to be without Honour How is he numbred among the Children of God and his lot is among the Saints Therefore have we erred from the way of Truth and the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us We wearied our selves in the way of wickedness and destruction yea we have gone thorow deserts when there lay no way but as for the way of the Lord we have not known it What hath pride profitted us Or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us All those things are passed away like a shaddow and as a Post that hasteth by c. Hence you may see how little they are taken notice of in the World who are Heirs of the Kingdom of God and how little they are discerned to be what they are And lest you should think that because these words are quoted out of the Apocrypha they have not weight in them hear Paul speaking to the same purpose 1 Cor. 1.26 c. For ye see your calling Brethren how that not many wise men after the Flesh not many mighty not many Noble are called But God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the World to confound the things that are mighty and base things of the World and things which are despised hath God chosen yea and things which are not to bring to nought things that are that no Flesh should glory in his presence Thus the Lord will confound the thoughts of men and make that last which was first and that first which was last and that highly esteemed which was despised and that despised which was highly esteemed And though the Heirs of his Kingdom be scarcely discerned in the World yet will he finde out a numberless Number out of all Nations Kinreds People and Tongues that shall inherit it such as the World takes little notice of they being a People comming out of great tribulation in which they have lived in the World Therefore let non say Where shall we finde such a People as live in the Kingdom of God but let them desire of the Lord that he would open their Eyes to see them whom he ownes and admits into his Kingdom Read Revel the 7th ver 9. to the end The Lord doth put the treasures of his Kingdom into Earthen Vessels which not being beautifull to the outward Eye are therefore overlooked and not seen by the curious Eye As it was said of our Lord and Master there is no beauty in him that we should desire him the same also may be said of his followers But wisdom is justifyed of her Children Look upon the rough and withered or deadlike coat of the Vine specially in Winter and one would think it good for little except to be consumed by the fire So are the branches of the true Vine many times to the outward Eye and therefore not regarded by the World as the strong Oakes and Trees of the forrest are or as the losty Cedars of Libanon which are seen a far off The Lord had reserved to himself 7 thousand who had not worshipped Baal even in the great Apostacy of Israel in Ahabs time whom Elijah the Prophet could not see So in the great Apostacy of Professed Christianity the Lord hath a numberless Number who are sealed who stand before the Throne and before the Lamb cloathed with white Robes and Palmes in their hands glorifying God and â—scribing all Salvation to our God which siteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb. As you read in that 7th of Revel Thou that â—anst not see a People fit for the Kingdom of God canst thou see a People that work â—ighteousness The Apostle tells us that eveâ—yone that doth righteousness is born of God 1 â—oh 2.29 Dost thou see any People dwelling 〈◊〉 a Spirit of love The same Apostle tells â—s that every one that loveth is born of God â— Joh. 4.7 Another Apostle tells us that 〈◊〉 every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him Act. 10.35 The Apostle doth not tell us that every one that can magnify themselves in a form of Religion are accepted but he that worketh righteousness only There is a Pharisaical Eye which can see none righteous but such as are in their own form But God seeth not as man seeth There is also a prophane and hatefull Eye which hates the appearance of righteousness and holiness because it is a chain to their loose prophanes and wickedness these also through the myst of enmity and hatred cannot see the Servants of the living God over whose consciences he rules and so hath a Kingdom there and they in it submitting to his requirings as true Subjects
A SYNOPSIS Or short view of ESSENTIAL CHRISTIANITY In Part In which the first Fruits unto God or Saints in the Apostles dayes lived According to the Doctrine of Christ and his Holy Apostles beginning at the very foundation thereof With some Explications or Enlargements thereupon Tending to the Edification Comfort and refreshing of all sorts of People that fear God and love Righteousness without respect to any one particular Form and yet not excluding all Form And which may tend also to the encouraging of others that as yet regard not God to turne to him in Submission and the obedience of Faith By WILLIAM TOMLINSON A lover of all that are of a humble Heart and that live the life of Righteousness in whatsoever form they are London Printed for B. Harris at the Stationers Armes under the Piazza of the Royal Exchange 1684. The Explayning of the Title I Call that Essential Christianity in which the Heart is truely turned from sin to God In which state there be various degrees Some are but as smoking Flax where no flame of righteousness as yet appears yet have they a love to Righteousness and to God these our Lord will not quench Others are as bruised Reeds wounded and bruised and bowed down under their transgression and therefore are poor in Spirit mourning under the body of Sin which they are made sensible of and hungring and thirsting after Righteousness which their Hearts long after these holding on shall be filled Some are not farr from the Kingdom of God but near it Others are in the Kingdom which consists iâ— Righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit â—r Holy Ghost who have received the Spirit of Adoption and are in the Son-â—hip walking in fellowship with the Father and the Son and in all these â—tates there be various degrees also Now I call that essential in which â—hese have their life to distinguish from that which is outward and circumstantial and may be taken up bâ— those that love wickedness and havâ— a Spirit of enmity in them against truâ— holines For there is no Form of Godliness 〈◊〉 of Religion but a wicked man and lover of unrighteousness may take it uâ— and that as well now as under the mâ—nistration of the Law or as in tâ— Apostles dayes when some had a forâ— of Godliness and yet denyed the Powâ—â— thereof But take notice that I doe not câ—â— these things contained in this Book Eâ—sential in opposition to all things thâ— are outward or circumstantial but distinction from those things that wicked man may take upon him whiâ—â— things nevertheless may in due placeâ— observed by the truly righteous The 〈◊〉 of the Title needs no explication Nâ— what is here offered is but in part we know but in part and Propâ—cy but in part and he in whom 〈◊〉 fullness dwells gives out of his fullâ— as it pleaseth him to whom be 〈◊〉 Glory of all his gifts A SYNOPSIS Or short view of ESSENTIAL CHRISTIANITY c. 1. GOD so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but should have eternal life For God sent not his Son into the World to condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved Joh. 3.16 17. 2. The Son of God Christ Jesus our Lord so loved the World also that he gave up himself a Sacrifice for our Sinnes according to the good will of God thereby to make attonement for us and to reconcile us to God He bare our Sins in his own body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2.24 Thus the love of God is manifested and the love of the Son of God Christ Jesus our Lord. 3. He whose understanding an Heart is rightly opened to believe this love of God in Christ he receives it He receives thâ— joyfull tydings or Gospel Hâ— receives the Testimony of Chrisâ— and sets to his Seal that God 〈◊〉 true yea he receives Christ himself and with him power to bâ—come a Son of God Joh. 1 1â— He shall receive remission of Siâ— Act. 10.43 He shall be made paâ—taker of the Holy Spirit Ro. 8. â— Gal. 3.2 And such a faith as thâ— is the right Evangelical faith 4. This true Faith in Christ Jesus or Evangelical faith wherein the things are received hath also the Fruits and concomitants atteâ—ding it 1. It brings Peace and consolatioâ— or rejoycing 2. It works by love 3. It purifyes the Heart turniâ—â— it from unrighteousness and teacheâ— to deny ungodliness and Worldly lusts and to live righteously and soberly and Godly in this present World 4. It excludes boasting and exaltation of our selves 5. It drawes the Heart after Christ after Sanctification and after Heavenly treasures and fellowship with God 6. It is accompanyed with an Unction from the Holy one which inlightens the understanding and inclines the Heart to good and gives a sense or feeling of the will of God and being kept to it leadeth into all truth and is a continual teacher And this is the new Covenant not written in Tables of Stone as the first was but in the Fleshly Tables of the heart 2 Cor. 3.3 7. This true Gospel faith begets Hope that is it raises the heart into an expectation of good things to come and so bears up the head under all the afflictions and tribulations which it meets with all in this life For if in this life only we had hope we were of all men most miserable And so it hath a secret dependency upon the righteous judgment of God at the last day when he shall bring everything to light and render to every one according 〈◊〉 their deeds done in the body This short view of Christianity is comprehended under these 4 heads 1. The Love of God to man 2. The Love of Christ Jesus ouâ— Lord the First-borne of every Creature and the expresse image of the invisible God 3. The Gospel Faith which recei es Love of God in Christ Jesuâ— our Lord. 4. The Fruits of this faith whereby it is known and distinguished from all false faiths Of all which a little more at large by way of Explication as they shall be opened to mee Explication 1. GOD so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3.16 For God sent him not into the World to condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved ver 17. Here 's the Fountaine or rather Ocean from whence all good doth come even from the Love of God or from God who is love yea an unfathomable Ocean of love Therefore the beloved Disciple who leaned on the bosom of our Lord describes him thus God is Love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 Joh. 4.16 And this love is an extensive love reaching to all therefore saith he God so loved the World he saith not God so loved this or that Nation or this or that sort
And blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Matt. 5.3 4. Their mourning is while they are in travel but when they have brought forth then there is rejoycing when Faith hath overcome then joy and gladness And this is in some sooner in some later In the primitive times of the Apostles when the mystery of the Gospel or glad tydings was holden forth with open face as I may say and without a vail or myst many that received those tydings by Faith were immediatly filled with peace and consolation How quickly was the Jaylor that came in trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas crying out Syr's what must I doe to be saved How quickly I say was he raised up into peace and consolation after he had heard the joyfull tydings of Salvation by Christ Jesus plainly preached to him in few words and by Faith received it Act. 16.31 32 33 34. And they said Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy House And they spake unto him the word of the Lord and to all that were in his House And he took them the same hour of the night it was not a work of many hours but the same hour and washed their stripes and was Baptized he and all his straight way And when he had brought them into his House he set meat before them and rejoyced believing in God with all his House See how love and joy accompanied his Faith believing in God he rejoyced Therefore the Gospel is called glad tyding of great joy For who can believe that his sins are done away in Christ Jesus and that freely by grace or in love the Lord accepteth him in Christ Jesus and not therein rejoyce The Preaching of the Gospel is preaching peace by Jesus Christ Act. 10.26 Eph. 2.17 And therefore it s call'd the Gospel of Peace How beautifull are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tydings of good things Rom. 10.15 The Eunuch to whom Philip preached Christ and opened to him the way of Salvation by Christ and he by Faith had received this love of God in Christ the same day he was filled with joy and after Philip was caught away from him he went on his way rejoycing Act. 8.39 So at Samariâ— Philip having preached Christ unto them and working Miracles in his name there was great joy in that City Act. 8.8 So likewise that great multitude that was converted at Peters preaching the Gospel to them Act. 2. besides those eminent Fruits of love which sprang up in them in an extraordinary manner they also were filled with great joy and consolation which made them to eat their meat with gladness and singlenes of praising God This true Faith in Christ Jesus brings peace and consolation upon two principal accounts First because it receives the glad tydings of remission or forgiveness of sins by Jesus Christ The guilt of sin or conscience of sin binds a man under the fear of condemnation and causes him to cry out in the bitterness of his Soul what shall I doe As it did these here in the 2d of the Acts when they were struck with a sense of their sin they cryed out Men and Brethren what shall we doe And so the Jaylor what shall I doe to be saved And this state the Apostle Paul personates Rom. 7.24 O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Now what can be more joyfull at such a time and to such a condition then to be satisfyed that their sins are forgiven them and that Christ Jesus the Lamb of God that taketh away the Sin of the World hath borne their sin in his own body on the Tree And so to have their conscience sprinkled by his blood from an evil conscience and to be made clean by that blood of sprinkling Here 's cause indeed of rejoycing by Faith in him For now the chaine of darkness is unloosed and the liberty of the Sons of God begins to appear and he is translated out of darkness into marvellous light Even the light of life 1 Pet. 2.9 And then secondly in this faith there is also a measure of the Spirit received which is the comforter and brings his Testimony with him which is beyond all words for giving consolation and peace The Spirit witnessing with our Spirits that we are accepted into Sonship with God And therefore the joy received in believing is called the joy of the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit 1 Thess 1.6 And ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much affliction and joy of the Holy Ghost That is joy which the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit ministred in their receiving the word There 's joy in Heaven over one sinner that truely repents and he also is made partaker of that joy Thus the Fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace to that man that receives the Testimony of the love of God in Christ Jesus and also it begets the same in that man towards others It begets love in him towards others and joy in their returning to God and makes him a man of Peace in the World Obj. It may be some may say how can this be seeing Christ said I came not to send peace on Earth but a Sword And to set one man at variance against another Answ That is occasionally because the Earthly Spirit will be opposing and persecuting the rightous seed although the righteous seed be a seed of peace and quietâ—ess in it self and to others Obj. Again some may say Christ â—ells of mourning ye shall mourn â—nd the World shall rejoyce c. How then doth this stand with that â—y which thou speaks of Answ A Woman while she is in â—ravel hath sorrow but when she hath brought forth she rejoyceth for joy that a man Childe is brought forth into the World so it is here And then again saith Christ Jesus In the World ye shall have tribulation but in me ye shall have peace Joh. 16.33 Forthly I come now to another Fruit or concomitant of this Faith and that is this it excludes boasting It cuts down vainglory Where is boasting then It is excluded By what Law Of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith Rom. 3.27 For what hath that man to glory in in respect of himself that sees himself wholy a receiver at the hands of the Lord When he rightly sees himself justifyed freely by grace and the superaboundant mercy oâ— God who hath revealed himself to him in Christ Jesus That is hath revealed his love to him in Chrisâ— Jesus for God is love And hath let him see that he is accepted freely in Christ Jesus He that hath the right sence of this upon his Spirit it draws his Heart into the admiration of the infinite love and mercy of God in deep humility And the more fully this is revealed to him or in him the greater is his admiration still of