idolize it but the excellence of man is but flesh even the best of it as all outward gifts without the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. Though I speake with the tongues of men and Angels and have not charity I am become as sounding brasse or a tinckling cymbal And though I had the gift of prophesie and knew all secrets and all knowledge yea and if I had all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not love I were nothing And though I feed the poore with all my goods and though I give my bodye that I be burned and hoââ not love it profiteth me nothing All this without love which is the Spirit For God and thâ Spirit is one 1 John 5.7 God is love 1 Joh â 8 All these excellent things without the Spiriâ profieth me nothing Why because our happinesse consists alone in God and not in excellent cutward gifts without him Paul haâ a great many before his conversion yet hâ looked upon them as the workes of the flesh for he had not then the Spirit of God Foâ we are the Circumcision which worship Goâ in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus anâ have no confidence in the flesh Though I alâ might have confidence in the flesh If any maâ thinketh that hee hath whereof he might tââ in the flesh much more I Circumcised thâ eighth day of the kindred of Israel of the trââ of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews by thâ Law a Pharisee Concerning zeal I perseâted the Church touching the righteousnâââ which is in the Law I was unrebukeable Bâ things that were vantage to me the samâ counted losse for Christs sake Yea doubtleâ I think all but losse for the excellent knowledâ sake of Christ Jesus my Lord. For whââ I have counted all things losse and dee ãâã them to be dung that I might winne Christ and might be found in him that is not having mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ even the righteousnesse which is of God through faith Phil. 3.3 to the 9. All flesh is as grasse and all the glory of man is as the flowr of grasse The grasse withereth and the flowre falleth away but the word of the Lord endureth for ever 1 Pet 1.24 25. This glory of the flesh which is compared to the flower of the grasse is the righteousnesse of man the most excellent of man without the Spirit of God as Paul had Yet this must all fall away it cannot stand before the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ but the word of God endureth for ever This word is Christ and he and his righteousnesse endureth for ever and when he and his righteousness appeareth in us and to us It will appeare so glorious and shine with such a burning heat that it will wither the flowre of our righteousnesse and cause it to fall away and be brought to nothing It will appeare so odious and filthy in our fight that we shall be ashamed of it as Paul was and count it as dung and drosse the filchiest things as is and so we shall be desirous to have this righteousnesse of ours destroyed by the glorious comming of Jesus Christ by g DESC = missing EXTENT = 1 span Spirit into us So none of the best of the excellencies of man can bring us to know any thiâ of God in the mystery it is alone the work ãâã the Spirit of God without any thing of us Tââ things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit ãâã God 1 Cor. 2.11 And this Spirit searcheth ãâã things yea the deepe things of God vers 10. 1. It is the Spirit alone that sees the thing of God 2. It is the Spirit that heares the things ãâã God 3. It is the Spirit alone that understandâ the things of God 4. It is the Spirit alone that can doe thâ works of God 5. It is the Spirit alone that makes us accepted with God For the first It is the Spirit of God aloââ that seeth the things of God Mat. 6.22 Thâ light of the body is the eye If therefore thine eye ãâã single thy whole body shal be ful of light Lu. 11 3ââ This single eye is the Spirit of God and it seââ the things of God for it cannot be the eye ãâã man Matth. 6.23 But if thy eye be evill thâ whole body shall be full of darknesse If therefoââ the light that is in thee be darkenesse how great ãâã that darknesse The eye is that whereby we see the eye ãâã man cannot see any thing but that which iââ man and all the things of man even the best of them are but evill and the eye of man that seeth the things of man is one and the same with man And therefore it must needs follow that the eye of man is evill for it sees nothing done but that which is evill And if thy eye be evill thy whole bodie shall be full of darkenesse What is darkenesse but want of light and the light is Jesus Christ This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkenesse rather than light John 3.19 And the light shined in darkenesse and the darkenesse comprehended it not John 1.5 And that was the true light which lighteth every man that commeth into the world Hee was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not John 1.9 10. So as wee are men wee cannot know God nor any thing of God For if that light that is in us be darkenesse how great is that darknesse If those most excellent performances of man as man without the Spirit of God as Paul did performe before his conversion which is most likest light be darknesse how great is that darkenesse that man is in Man as man cannot comprehend the light of Jesus Christ none can doe it but that which is one and the same with him which is the Spirit of God and he âs that single eye that sees all the things of God and Christ for they are one and Christ ãâã promised to send his Spirit unto us But Comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the they will send in my Name he shall teach yââ things and bring all things to your remember whatsoever I have said unto you John 14. â When the Comforter is come whom I will send ãâã you from the father even the spirit of truth oâ proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie oâ Joh 15.26 The spirit of truth whom the world ãâã not receive because is seeth him not neither knoââ him but ye know him for he dwelleth with and shall be in you and he shall abide with for ever John 14.16 17. These words Christ spake to his Disciââ when he was present with them in the shaâ man when he was to depart from theâ that bodily shape they were unwilling ãâã he should goe away but he tels them that expedient that he should goe away For if ãâã
eate this bread be shall live for ever and the bread thâ I will give is my flesh which I will give for tââ life of the world vers 50 51. And this breaâ hee giveth to all freely And this is that thaâ will feede and nourish your soules thereforâ feede upon this and doe not spend your labour in vaine thinking to get a righteousneââ of your owne which is not the righteousnesâ of Jesus Christ that thou mightst feede upon that and be satisfied with it but that cannot satisfie thee if thou goest to feede upon it ãâã will choak thee but hearken diligently to me and eate that which is good and let your soule delight it selfe in his fatnesse What he hath donâ for thee and what he hath obtained for thee and come unto me heare and your soul shal live So heare that yee really believe what Christ hath done for you and your soule shall live And I will make an everlasting Covenant with you âven the sure mercies of David For this is the Covenant that I will make with them After those dayes saith the Lord I will put my lawes into their hearts and I will be to them a God and âhey shall be to mee a people And they shall not âeach every man his brother saying know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest For I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more Heb. 8.10 11 12. And it is a sure Covenant for it was established upon better promises than the old Covenant was and God is unchangeable I am God I change not therefore ye sonnes of Jacob are not consumed And the Spirit and the Bride sayes âome and let him that heareth say come and set him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 Wisedome hath builded her house she hath killed âer beasts shee hath mingled her wine shee hath also furnished her table She hath sent forth her Maidens shee cryeth upon the highest places of the City Whose is simple let him turne in hither as for him that wanteth understanding she saith to him Come eate of my bread and drinke of the wine that I have mingled Prov. 9.1 2 3 4 5. This wisdome is Christ and it was he thâ was killed for the sinnes of the world This the fatted Calfe that was killed Luke 15 2â And the Lamb slain from the beginning of tââ world Matth. 22. Behold I have prepared ãâã dinner my oxen and fatlings are killed and ãâã things are ready come unto the marriage It is Christ alone that hath prepared ãâã things for this spirituall marriage betwiââ himselfe and his people There is nothing ãâã be done but all things are already preparâ for this spirituall feast there is nothing fââ us to doe but to come and eate and drink freely of those things that are prepared for us And hee sends forth his servants for to crye ãâã the highest places of the Citie and to crye ãâã loud Spare not lift up their voyce like a Truââ pet Isa 58.1 That all may hear and come that those that are simple may learne true wiâdome of him CHAP. VI. How wee should come to Christ and have thâ things that he hath prepared for all THere is no other way to come to Chriâââ but by believing what hee hath done foâ them in particular and to apply it to themselves These things are written that ye might beâieve that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and âhat in believing ye might have life through his âame John 20.31 He that believeth in the Son âf God hath the witnesse in himselfe he that belieâeth not God hath made him a lyar because hee âelieved not the record that God witnessed of his âon And this is the record that God hath given ânto us eternall life and this life is in his Sonne He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath âot the Sonne hath not life These things have I written unto you that believe in the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternall life and that ye may believe in the name of the Son âf God 1 John 5.10 11 12 13. For God so loâed the world that he gave his only begotten Son âhat whosoever believeth in him should not perish âut have everlasting life John 3.16 And this is âife eternall that they know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John â7 3 Let not your hearts be troubled ye believe ân God believe also in me John 14.1 For I am âome a light into the world whosoever believeth in ââe shall not abide in darkenesse Joh. 12.40 And âhis is the worke of God that yee believe in him whom he hath sent John 6.29 Hee that belieâeth in me as saith the Scripture out of his belly shall flow rivers of water of life John 7.38 He that believeth in me hath everlasting life Johâ 6.47 And Jesus said unto them I am the breâ of life he that commeth to me shall not hunger ãâã hee that believeth in me shall never thirst Aââ this is the will of him that sent me that every ãâã which seeth the Son and believeth in him shoââ have everlasting life and I will raise him up the last day John 6.35.40 He that doth believe Christ doth knoâ Christ and doth know the Father also ãâã Christ and his Father are one and hee doââ know that Christ hath pardoned his sins having made full satisfaction for them to his Father and that God is as well pleased with hiâ in his Sonne as he is with his Son and doâ not only believe this because it is in the Scripture but because the Spirit of God witnesseâ it to them by the enjoyment of it though sometimes they have not the comfort of ãâã Believing and faith is all one and we are justâfied by faith and not by workes and therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the workes of the Law Rom. 3 2â By the works of ehe law shall no flesh be justified ãâã his fight For by the Law cometh the knowledge of sin ãâã now is the righteousnesse of God made manifeââ without the Law bearing witnesse of the Law anâ the Prophets to wit the righteousnesse of God ãâã the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that beleeve for there is no difference for all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood to declate his righteousnesse by the forgivenesse of the sins that are passed through the patience of God Rom. 3.20 21 22 23 24 25. If Abraham were justified by works he hath wherein to rejoyce but not with God but what saith the Scripture Abraham beleeved God and it was counted
and we come to beleeve this ãâã the faith of Christ this faith is the eye to ãâã what Christ hath done for us so through thâ faith we are justified by Christ and this is thâ free gift of God and is not any thing of oââ selves our faith is imperfect and therefore ãâã cannot justifie us I beleeve Lord help my unââliefe So that our faith cannot justifie us bâcause there is unbeliefe in it Lord help my ãâã beliefe but the faith of Christ is perfect aâ that alone doth justifie every one that hathâ and without this faith it is impossible to pleââ God Heb. 11.6 and every thing which is ãâã of this faith is sinne and Christ is the authoââ and finisher of this faith Heb. 12.2 And all long the 11. chapter of the Hebrewes the speakes what great things were done by tââ faith and the Lord calls and invites all men come to him and eat freely of this spiritoâ feast that he hath prepared for them he ãâã vites them by the outward preaching of ãâã word and inward movings of his Spirit Pââ 1.20 21 22 23. Wisdome crieth without uttereth her voyce in the streets she crieth the chiefe place of concourse in the openiâ of the gates in the citie she uttereth her words saying How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in their scorning and fooles hate knowledge turne you at my reproofe behold I will poure our my Spirit unto you I will make known my words unto you Here is the outward call and in Genesis 6.3 there is the inward And the Lord said My Spirit shall not always strive with man So it doth appeare that his Spirit doth strive with man to bring him to himself Iohn 12.32 And I if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me Hosea 11.4 I drew them with cords of a man with bands of love and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jawes and I laid meat unto them Thus âhrist drawes all both inward and outward with the bonds of love that he might take off that heavy yoke off their sinnes off them and see them laid upon Christ and see this spirituall meat which is laid before them and they to feed on it and doe appeale to every ones conscience whether they doe not find at one time or other an inward moving by the Spirit of God for to goe unto God and the Lord will receive them and they have some glimpse of the love of God to them to invite them to goe and there is nothing can move us to go to God but the Spirit of God therefore it is the Spirit of God that doth draw all CHAP. VII None can truly repent till they goe unto God anâ when they do goe he will give them a true repentance THere is not any that can truly repent ãâã their sinnes till they doe see in some measure the love of God to them they may repent because their sinnes provoke Gods angeâ against them and for feare of hell and the judgements of God and because they keep them out of heaven but this is not a true repentance a true repentance is such a repentance that they need not repent them of buâ there requireth a repentance to repent of this repentance but it is the love of God made known to them that makes them to be humbled for their sinnes because they offend so loving a God and they were the cause that Christ was crucified and therefore they hate their sinnes because they are an enemy to God and keeps them from the communion of God O the love of God to thee constrains thee to love him againe and thou art ashamed of thy sinnes and hatest them because God hates them so it is the love of God to them that causeth true repentance When Christ looked upon Peter then he went out and wept bitterly Luk. 22.61 62. Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more w th Idols Hos 14.9 Ephraim was a great sinner he worshipped Idols yet when he saw the love of God to him it so overcame him that he cries out Whot have I to doe any more with Idols though I have had to doe with them yet now I hate them because God hates them Ierem. 31.18 19. I have heard Ephraim lamenting thus Thou hast corrected me and I was chastised as an untamed Colt convert thou me and I shall be converted for thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I converted I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Ezek. 16.62 63. And I will establish my covenant with thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that thou mayst remember and be ashamed and never open thy mouth any mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord God Thus the love of God drawes all to repentance and it prevailes more with them to bring them to repentance than to heare of the wrath of God and judgements and this repentance is a true ââpentance to hate sinne and to be huâbled for it because it offends so loving a Goâ and therefore to forsake them though neââ so neer and deare to us and be affraid of coâmitting sinne for feare of offending God ãâã Joseph said How can I doe this and sinne agaiââ God Gen. 39.9 Object If it be so that God doth draw ãâã men thus to himselfe what is the reason thâ all doe not come unto him for wee see thâ most keep from him and live in sin and wiââednesse Answ The fault is in man O man thyââstruction is of thy selfe For what coââ I have done to my Vineyard that I have ãâã done it Isa 5.4 And though they goe aââ from Christ yet hee will not leave themsâââ hee followes them 1 Cor. 10.4 They did ãâã drinke the same spirituall drinke for thâ dranke of that spirituall rocke that followââ them and that roche was Christ Hee followes them with his mercie and ââving kindnesse to draw them to him but thâ would not Ye would not come unto me thââ might have life And if ye believe not that Iâ he ye shall dye in your sinnes John 8.24 There is nothing that condemnes the woââ but the rejecting and undervaluing of Jeââ Christ and continue so doing and live and dye so He that believeth not is condemned already because hee hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Sonne of God And this is condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse rather than light John 3.18 19. Christ is the light to lighten every one that comes into the world and hee invites all to come unto him and he will give them of his light that they might see to walke in his way and he would direct them what to doe and lead them in the
way to life eternall but they continue refusing and loving their own darknesse better then the light or Jesus Christ and hate him in his waves and persecute him in his members and make a mock of godliness and thinke to get a righteousnesse of their own that shall carry them to heaven and so they undervalue the righteousnesse of Christ and tread under foote the Sonne of God and count the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified and unholy thing they doe not regard it but slight it and doe not really believe him And hee that doth not believe the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him John 3.36 He that believeth not God hath made him a lyar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Sonne 1 John 5.10 It is the free mercie and love of God thaâ is offered to all it is that that shall condemâââ all those that continue alwayes in unbeliefe Christ came neare Jerusalem and wept oââ it and said O Jerusalem Jerusalem that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent ââto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen doth gather her brood ââder wings and ye would not Luke 13.34 Mat. 23.37 And in Mat. 23.31 there we may sââ what children these were that hee would haââ gathered to him Ye be witnes unto your selvââ that ye are the children of them that killed the Prophets and they commit the same sin as their Fathers did In the 34. and 35. verse of this chapter Behold I send unto you Prophets and wise men and Scribes and some of them yeâ shall kill and crucifie and some of them shall yeâ scourge in your Synagogues and persecute theâ from Citie to Citie That upon you may come alââ the righteous blood shed upon the earth from thâ blood of righteous Abel unto the bloud of Zacharias sonne of Barachias whom ye slew between the Temple and the Alter These are the children that Christ would have gathered to him and his bowels of compassion yearns to them Hee wept over them to think what a miserable condition they were in and hee would have preserved them from it but they would not And thus hee offers himselfe still to all even the chiefest of sinners 2 Chron. 26.15 16. And the Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by his messengers rising up betimes and sending because hee had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord rose against his people till there was no remedie Prov. 1.24 to the 31. Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded But ye have set at nought all my counsell and would none of my reproofe I also will laugh at your calamity I will mocke when your feare commeth When your feare commeth as desolation and your destruction commeth as a whirle-winde when distresse and anguish commeth upon you Then shall they call upon mee but I will not answer they shall seeke me early but they shall not find me For that they hated knowledge and did not chuse the feare of the Lord. They would none of my counsell they despised all my reproofe Therefore shall they eate of the fruit of their owne way and be filled with their own deviecs Thus he strives with them till there is no remedie and then hee giveth them over And when they have thus hardned their own hearts that they refuse all instruction and shut their eyes that they will not see then God hardened their hearts as he did Pharaoh's Exod. 10.1 and blind their eyes Mat. 13.14 15. By hearing ye shall heare and not understand and seeing ye shall see and not perceive For this peoples heart is waxed grosse and their eares are duââ of hearing and their eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and heartâ with their eares and should understand with their hearts and should be converted and I should heââ them And therefore he spake to them in parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand Luke 8.10 Isa 6.9 Mark 4.12 God hath given them thââ spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see anâ eares that they should not heare Rom. 11.8 Sââ the fault is in the creature and not in God for this good seede is sowne in all sorts of ground in good ground and in that which is stonie and that which is thorny and by the way side so it is sowed in all and the fault is not in the seede for the seede is all alike That seede is the word of God Luk. 8.11 which is sowne in all man-kind He that was the unprofitable servant had received a talent of his Lord as well as the profitable servants So God hath justified himself and left the world without excuse that they shall have nothing to say for themselves at the day of judgment and this is that that will be their greater condemnation Those mine enemies that would not that I bould reigne over them bring them and slay them âefore my face Lu. 19.27 Not to have Christ âeigne over them is that which condemnes âhem CHAP. VIII How God doth compell those that are his children to come in to him GOd hath chosen and elected some before the world began to bee the children of God in Christ and to reveale himselfe unto âhem and to give unto them eternall life âaving predestinated us unto the adoption of âhildren by Jesus Christ to himself according âo the good pleasure of his will to the praise of âhe glory of his grace wherein he hath made âs accepted in the beloved Eph. 1.5 6 According to the eternall purpose which he hath purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord Ephes 3.11 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gosââ 2 Tim. 1.9 10. God did not see any thing in us where to love us but he loves us in his Sonne freââ for his Sonnes sake Christ hath obtained ãâã things of his Father both in heaven and earâ for us and there is not any thing that ãâã keepe them from us and at the time appoiâted of the Father they shall be revealed to ãâã But the heir as long as he is a childe differeth ãâã thing from a servant though hee he Lord of ãâã Gal. 4.1 Before we be called with that hoââ call which is that new work wrought in ãâã which is alone the worke of the spirit to ãâã borne againe not of corruptible seede but of inââruptible by the word of God which liveth and
righteousnesse too narrow to cover her sewithal her filthy nakednesse wil appear for that But that no man is justified by the woâââ of the Law in the fight of God is evident Gââ 3.11 Behold all ye that kindle a fire that conââââ passe your selves about with sparkes walke in light of your fire and in the sparkes which ye haââ kindled This shall have ye of mine hand ye shâââ lye downe in sorrow Isa 50.11 This fire that we kindle is our righteornesse these sparks are one and the same wiââ the fire This shall ye have at my hand ye shall downe in sorrow The children of God that have and doe walke in this darke condition going on in a egall and pharisaicall way thinking to be jutified by their owne righteousnesse for they know no other way for if they did they would willingly embrace it They lye downe ân aboundance of sorrow they have little comfort and joy and when they have 't is quickly gone and the more they struggle the more they are entangled like a bird in a net and cannot tell which way to getout but thou wilt say though my righteousnesse will not âustifie me before God yet I must performe duties to him because he commands me for âf there be a willing minde it is accepted for âhat a man hath and not for that he hath not For where much is given much is required but where little is given there is little required So if I doe my good will God will accept it for that which I cannot doe Christ will doe for me I answer That either thou must be justified wholly by thy owne righteousnesse or wholây by Christs righteousnesse for thou must not put them together it is forbid to put linnen and woollen together It is Christ that doth all and he will have all the glory before the Sonne of righteousnesse is risen to thee through the cleer truths of himselfe thou canst not know it for in thy sight we see ligh And while then we make broken Cesterns our selves that will hold no water and foâsake the fountaine of living water as tââ Scribes and Pharisees did which Christ uâbraided them for John 3.19 This is codemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse rather than light in tââ time of their ignorance God winked at it bâ when hee came himselfe to teach them in tââ true way they despised him and persecutâ him and said he was a seducer of the peoplâ John 7.12 Thou art a Samaritan and hast Devill John 8.48 And he is mad why be ye him and said he was a blasphemer And mâny other reproachfull words against him aââ his Doctrine and his Disciples for whiââ things they were condemned So when thâ light doth appeare to thee take heed thâ dost not persecute it as they did and noâ can by their striving and strugling make thâ Sonne to rise and expell this darknesse anâ give us the true light till he please to doe himselfe Thus I have shewed thee that yet thou haâ not seene the salvation of the Lord Now shall shew you how you shall stand still and ãâã the salvation of the Lord. Thou hast tryed aâ the wayes that thou knowest and hast labored exceedingly to find out the wayes of God out cannot find it out We have toiled all the âight and taken nothing Luke 5.5 Before Christ came in appearance to them âheir labour was in vaine they could find noâhing But when Christ came to them he bid them let downe their nets into the Sea for a draught When they had thus done they enclosed a great multitude of fishes And so it hath been with thee thou hast toyled all the night and hast taken nothing But when Christ manifests himselfe to thee to teach thee what to doe which hee will doe by his Spirit in his time then thou shalt receive multitudes of mercies and exceeding riches of his âove and goodnesse and the joy of it and a countenance of it in the meane time Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his servant that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Isa 49.23 And thou shalt know that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed that waite for mee Habak 2.1 2 3. I will stand upon my watch and set mee upon the tower and will watch to see what the Lord will say unto me and what I shall answer when I am reproved And the Lord answered and said write the vision and make it plaine upon Tables that he may run that readeth it For the vision is yet for an appointe time but in the end it shall speake and not lye Though it tarry wait for it because it will sure come it will not tarry Isa 30.18 Blessed anâ all they that waite for him Prov. 20.22 Waââ on the Lord and he will save thee Psal 56.3 What time I am affraid I will trust in thee And they that doe waâte upon the Lord shall finâ that they have not lost their labour but he will abundantly fulfill their desires The Lorâ wil fight for you and ye shall hold your peace for your strength is to sit still Isa 30.7 Thou hast laboured a great while in vain in thy own strength couldst not find God now sit still a while Heb. 10.37 For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Thou must not be discontented because thou hast not thy desires granted when thou wouldst John 7.6 My time is not yet come but your time is alwayes ready Cant. 2.7 I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem that yee stirre not up nor awake my Love till he please The Lords time is the best time In the mean time let your conversation be without covetousnesse and be content with such things as you have For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 It is not only meant in coveting temporall things but also spirituall but thou wilt be ready to say if I had such and such things as I want and I were thus and thus as such and such is then I should be contented but thou must be contented with such things as thou hast for the Lord knowes what is better for thee than thou dost 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good And I will not leave thee nor forsake thee It is for thy good whatsoever he doth if it had been most to his glory and thy good he would have shewed thee his loving kindnesse at the first and not have wounded thee thus and have led thee by his Spirit in a plaine ready way and have tooke away all things that hath hindered thee But when hee doth shew thee his love thou wilt know how to prize it the better thy happinesse consists not in the actings of Christ in the which it is but the streames
how for sins of ignorance And ch 6. there is a sacrifice to be offered for sins willingly And c. 16. there is what is to be offered for the sins of the Priest and how and so along that booke it speaks much of sacrifices for the sins of the people Heb. 9.22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood and without shedding of blood is no remission So Christe blood was the Red Sea that they did passe through to come out of their spirituall bondage which they had brought themselves in by obeying the Devill And they saw him darkly through sacrifices and ordinances and ceremonies which were but shadowes of things to come but the substance is Christ and they were not to depend upon their sacrifices but upon Christ It pleased the Lord to lead them in this dark way shewing himselfe to them by degrees as was most to his glory yet there was more light shewed to them then was revealed before them in the Prophets There he shewes himselfe clearly to them what he would doe for them and what he was to them and his exceeding great love to them which in the fulnesse of time he did come and performe it Thus they waited a long time having but a little hope of him still looking for his comming in the flesh and desiring his comming and yet willing to wait his time And at the the last he did come and finish all things for the salvation of their soules and made full satisfaction to his Father for all sins and not for theirs only but for the sins of the whole world for all that was from Adam to the end of the world Man had sinned therefore man must suffer and it must be one that was without sin for one that had sinne could not make satisfaction neither could man as man but it must be God in man or else he could not make satisfaction to God and it must be man too or else he could not suffer so he must be a middle person betwixt God and man that must make satisfaction to God for man So God sent his only Sonne out of his bosome to take our nature upon him and he was able to make full satisfaction to his Father for all man-kind at once So the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all Isa 53.6 God hath laid our sins upon Christ and he was willing to take them so our sinnes being laid upon Christ he is become the debter and we are set at liberty our sins are all laid upon Christ so God requires the full debt to be paid alone by him He hath nothing to say or doe against us because Christ hath undertaken to make full satisfaction to God for us and he cannot nor will not require it of Christ and us too 2 Cor. 5.18 19 21. All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himselfe by Jesus Christ God was in Christ reconcising the world unto himselfe not imputing their trespasses unto them For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Isa 53.4 5. Surely hee hath born our griefes and carried our sorrows yet we did esteeme him stricken smitten of God and afflicted But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with hiâ stripes we are healed so all along that chapteâ it speaks what Christ suffered for us Hos 13 14. I will ransome them from the power of thâ grave I will redeeme them from death O death I will be thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction repentance shall bee hid from mine eyeâ 1 Cor. 15.54 55 56 57. Death is swalloweâ up in victory O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin anâ the strength of sinne is the Law But thanks ãâã to God which giveth us the victory through oââ Lord Jesus Christ In Hosea he saith I wil ãâã it it is he alone that will doe it but now heâ tel you 't is already done Death is swallowâ up in victory and this is the death that is spoken of in Gen. 2.17 And Christ hath gotteâ victory over it for us Hee is made perfect ãâã us through suffering he was perfect in himselfe before but not for us but now he ãâã perfect for us I shall shew you how Chriââ was made perfect for us through suffering ãâã was made perfect for us 3. wayes First By the fulfilling of the whole Laâ for us Secondly By making full satisfaction fââ the sins of the world Thirdly He hath purchased of his Fathââ all things both spirituall and temporall for us I shall shew you of the two first and let the other alone till afterwards For the first Christ hath fulfilled the whole Law for us Man was commanded to doe it and there was a great curse lay upon him if he did not doe it Cursed is every one that doth not all things that are written in the book of the Law Gal. 3.10 For whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all Jam. 2.10 And man he could not doe it so Christ he comes and performes the whole law perfectly for us Mat. 5.17 Thinke not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill For verily I say unto you till heaven and earth passe one jot or tittle shall in no wise passe from the Law till all be fulfilled And Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth and he hath fulfilled every jot and tittle of the Law for us for he did undertake to fulfill the whole Law for us to purchase a perfect righteousnesse for us by his fulfilling the Law for us It behoves us saith Christ to fulfill all righteousnesse And which of you can taxe me of sin so his righteousnesse is a perfect righteousnesse there is not any imperfection in it the Lord hath not any thing to say against it and this is for us Christ our righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.30 Ye are in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption Thus Christ hath fulfilled the whole Law for us Now I shall shew you how Christ hath made full satisfaction to his Father for our sins and that he did by suffering the whole wrath of God for the sins of the whole world I have a baptisme to be baptized withall and how am I streightned till it be accomplished which was his suffering He was to drinke off that bitter cup of the whole wrath of God wrung out by the hand of Gods vengeance to drink the dregs of it for our sinnes that was laid upon him And now you shall see how Christ complaines of this wrath of God that lay so heavy upon him John 12.27 Now is my soule
nothing in us that moved Goââ to bestow his Sonne upon us to be crucisied fââ us but it was his free love Herein is love ãâã that we loved God but that he loved us and seââ his Son to be the propitiatin for our sins 1 Johâ 4.10 Hereby perceive we the love of God becaââ he laid downe his life for us 1 John 3.16 Aâââ while we were yet sinners Christ died for us eâ when we were dead in sins Ephes 2.5 For so loved the world that hee gave his only begotten Sonne that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved John 3.16 17. For I came not to judge the world but to save the world John 12.47 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay downe his life for his friend John 15.13 That is the greatest love that friends can shew one to another but Christ hath loved us with a greater love for while wee were his enemies he dyed for us to reconcile us to God and to make us his friend hee takes occasion by our sins to shew us merie The Lord complains of the spirituall Idolatry of his people in Hosea 2. which of all sins that is partly the greatest to forsake God and cleave to Idols and to give that to them that belongs only to God for they made their Idols their God gave honour and glory to them but the Lord saith I will not give my honour to another nor my glory to graven Images Hos 2.13 14. Shee decked her selfe with her ear-rings and her jewels and she followed her Lovers and forgate me saith the Lord. Therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse aad speake comfortably to her Hos 11.7 My people are bent to rebellion against me though they called them to the most High yet none at all would exalt him Yet this did not turne the love of the Lord from them for in the 8. and 9. verses he saith How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I delive thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are rouled together I will not execute the fiercenesse of my wrath I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man the holy One in the midst of thee Ezek 20.44 And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I have respect unto you for my Names sake and not after your wicked wayes nor according to your corrupt workes O ye house of Israel saith thââ Lord Isa 43.25 I even I am hee that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake and wilâ not remember thy sins Isa 44.22 I have put away thy transgressions like a cloud and thy sinner as a mist turn unto me for I have redeemed thee Jer. 33.8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against me I will pardon all their iniquities wherby they have sinned against me and whereby they have transgressed against me Jer. 50.20 And in those dayes and at that time saith the Lord the iniquitieâ of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and for the sinnes of Judah and they shall not be found for I will be mercifull unto them Here is the free mercie of God and riches of his love belonging to all man-kinde that ever was is or shall be there is not any one excluded from his love for there is nothing can keep us from God but our sins and that Christ hath dyed for and hath made full satisfaction to his Father and hath obtained of his Father a full pardon for all the sinne of all man-kinde although they be never so great 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chiefe He was a persecuter and a blasphemer and an injurious person yee saith he I obtained mercy The Lord is no respecter of persons He shed his dearest heart-blood for all sinners as well for the chiefe of sinners as any other for without blood-shedding there can be no remission of any one sinne though never so small in our apprehension but by the blood of Christ being shed for us the greatest sins are pardoned as well as any For the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all unrighteousnesse And this gift of God in giving his Sonne is a free gift of God given to all to redeeme all from sinne hell and the Devill Hes 13.9 O Israel one hath destroyed thee but in me is thy helpe The Devill having overcome man by his tempting the woman and they yielding to him wee were all destroyed by the Devill but in Christ is our helpe against him Jer. 31.11 The Lorâ hath redeemed Jacob and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he All man-kinde fell by and in the fall of Adam from that glorious condition that thââ were in before they sinned So we all fell froâ that glorious condition with him into a staââ of condemnation sin and the wrath of Goâ both spirituall and temporall and hell anâ damnation and as we all fell in Adam so we are all raised by and in Christ not to thaâ condition that Adam fell from but from thaâ condition that he fell into and as we all dyeâ in Adam so wee are all made alive in Chriââ Adam was a publique person for man-kind so was Christ therefore he is called the seconâ Adam Therefore as by the offences of one which was Adam judgement came upon all men to cââ demnation even so by the righteousnesse of ouâ which is Christ the free gift came upon all mââ unto justification of life For as by one mans disââ bedience many were made sinners so by the obeââence of one shall many be made righteous Rom. ââ 18 19. All were made sinnners in Adam so all aââ made righteous by Christ Quest How are all made righteous ãâã Christ Answ He being made a publique person so all man-kinde he undertook to make full satisfaction for our sins which he did comit so he redeemed us from that condemnation that came upon all the world by the fall of Adam so that for those sinnes wee shall never be condemned Hee hath redeemed the whole world from the Devill and sin to himselfe that we should serve him in all love so the Devill and sinne cannot keepe the world out of heaven they can doe us no harme yea those that are very great sinnes cannot nothing but unbeliefe can keepe us out There was nothing that kept the children of Israel out of the Land of Canaan but unbeliefe We see they could not enter in because of unbeliefe Heb. 3.19 They had committed many sins and those that were very great ones and God complained of their sins in
many places of Scripture yet none of them kept them out of the Land of Canaan which was a type of heaven but only unbelief And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkenesse rather then light John 3.19 Christ hath obtained of his Father a full pardon for all the sins of the world and a perfect righteousnesse and heaven and spirituall and temporall things and it is kept in store for us in Christ all the spirituall things are till wee doe really believe what Jesus Chriââ hath done for us in particular and he woulâ have his love made knowne to the world thaâ they might believe and then hee will makâ known to them that their sins are pardoned and how great his love is to them and whââ hee hath purchased for them and what theâ are in him And although there remaines sââ in the conversation yet sin in the conscienââ is done away The blood of Christ which througâ the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spoââ purge your consciences from dead workes to serââ the living God Heb. 9.14 And he speaking iâ the 9th verse of this chapter and verse 2. of thâ 10th chapter of the sacrifices in the time of thâ Law there was offered gifts and sacrifices thaâ could not make holy concerning the conscience of him that did the service for if it could would they not then have ceased to have beeâ offered because that that the offerers oncâ purged should have had no more sine in theiâ conscience but those sacrifices could not take away sin in the conscience Heb. 9.24 25 26. For Christ is not entered into the holy places maââ with hands which are the figures of the true buâ into heaven itselfe now to appeare in the preseââ of God for us Nor yet that he should offer himselfâ often as the high Priest entereth into the holy plâââ every yeare with blood of others For then must often have suffered since the foundation of the world but now once in the end of the world hath be appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himselfe And it is he alone that can and will sanctifie us in our conversation Let us draw neer with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an evill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water Heb. 10.22 Christ shed both water and blood John 19. â4 His blood for to sprinkle our conscience from evill works that so they shall not damn us and water to purge and sanctifie us in our conversation that sin shall be mortified in us and we shall walke in obedience to God And this Christ hath done for all and would have all know it that they all might come to Christ and be saved For be tasted death for-every man Heb. 2.9 And be dyed for all that they that live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that dyed for them and rose again 2 Gor. 5.15 Christ not only dyed and was buried but hee also rose from the dead which doth declare unto us that hee hath gotten the victory over the spirituall death for us he triumphed over it for us Death is swallowed up in victory O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Chrisâ 2 Cor. 15.54 55 56 57. So Christ hath done all things for thee anâ hath made way for to goe to God by him Jâsus said I am the way the truth and the life âman commeth to the Father but by me John 1â 6. And now he makes a generall proclamatâon for all to come unto him and he will giââ them life for their life is hid in him and they doe not come unto him they shall dyeâ their sins and the Lord saith As I live I wiââ not the death of a sinner Isa 55.1 2 3. Ho evâââ one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ãâã that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea comâ buy wine and milke without money and withâââ price Wherefore doe ye spend money for that whiââ is not bread and your labour for that which satiâfieth not hearken diligently unto me and eaââ ye that which is good and let your soule delight selfe in fatnesse Encline your eare and come unâme heare and your soule shall live and I wiââ make aneverlasting Covenant with you even tââ sure mercies of David The waters that we are invited to come ãâã to is Christ he is the water of life John 4 1â And he calls all to come without any worth nesse of their owne though they are never ãâã great sinners let them come let them not keââ back because they are great sinners but therâfore let them come for he dyed for their sins ând if they come unto him he will give them a âardon for their sins their sinnes cannot be too great for him to pardon and doe not stay for âualification to come to Christ for there is âo qualification out of Christ but come unto him and he will qualifie thee there is no vessel so unclean but the blood of Christ wil cleanse ât And saith Christ Those that come to me I will âân no wise cast away and that wine and milk is Christ John 15.1 I am the Vine that brought forth those grapes that this wine came of and he was pressed in the wine-pres of the wrath of God for us to drinke of the fruit of it And as it is the nature of wine to comfort strengthen and refresh those that are ready to faint So it is with this spirituall wine Christ whosoever hath tasted of him it comforts him exceedingly and when they are ready to faint through the sence of their sins this wine refreshes them and strengthens them against the Devils temptations and their owne sins and this milke is to feede those that are babes in Christ I have fed you with milke and not with meate for bitherto ye were not able to beare it 1 Cor. 3.2 For every one that useth milke is unskilfull in the word of righteousnesse for he is a babe Heb. 5.13 So Christ is this milke that feeds those that are babes in him he is their nourishment and hee revealeth his love to them by degrees and ãâã are babes at the first and grow by degrees be men in Christ and hee leades them accoâding Wherefore doe ye spend money for that whiââ is not bread you spend a great deale of cost paines to get a righteousnesse of your own aââ so feede upon that but that is not bread thââ is but ashes that will not nourish thee bââ wildo thee more harm than good Christ saitâ He is the bread of life John 6.48 This is ãâã bread which came downe from heaven that a mââ may eate of it and not dye I am the living breââ which came downe from heaven if any man
not away the Comforter will not come but depart I will send him unto you John 16. â So when hee departed from them in the ââdy hee did send his Spirit to them and only to them but to all his children to and of the world He shall abide with you ââver I will not leave you comfortlesse I will to you John 14.18 So he departed from them in flesh and ãâã ânto them in Spirit and remaineth with his Church for ever and is a greater Comforter âo his Church in Spirit than hee was to his Disciples in his flesh when he was with them âo Christ hath given us his spirit freely that we âay see the things that are freely given to us âf God So in thy light saith David we see light Though wee as wee are men cannot see the âhings of God but as we are Saints and have âhe Spirit of God so we come to see the things of God for the Spirit of God in us seeth the âhings of God and so far as hee revealeth the âhings of God to us so far wee see them with his s pirituall eye of himselfe The Lord is my âight Psalm 27.1 So in this light we see God who is light For ye were sometime darkenesse âut now are yee light in the Lord Ephes 5.8 For thou art my lamp O Lord and the Lord will âighten my darknesse 2 Sam. 22.29 So farre as God hath revealed himselfe to ân so farre we have seen him with the light of himselfe And so farre as we have not seene him with the light of himselfe so farre we are ân darknesse still and so farre as hee hath revealed himselfe to us hee teacheth us all things and brings all things to our remembrance For therefore hee was sent unto us to teach us to know what Christ hath done for us and to know the things that are freely given to us of God and to be our Comforter There is ãâã Comforter like this for he is alwayes in ãâã and knows our trouble there is not any thiâ hid from him for we have not an high Prâââ which cannot be touched with the failing ãâã our infirmities but was in all points tempââ like as we and yet without sin Heb. 4 1â For in that he himselfe hath suffered being templâ he is able to succour them that are tempted Hââ 2.18 Christ hath suffered in all manner of afflicâââons both spirituall and temporall thereforâ his Spirit is a sufficient Comforter to comfoââ us in all our troubles with the love of himselâ and in upholding us in it and to bring us ãâã of them when he sees it is for his glory and ãâã good Thus the Spirit seeth the things ãâã God For the 2d. It is the Spirit alone that hearâ the things of God He that hath an eare to heaâ let him beare Mat. 13.9 Mâr. 4.9 He that haââ an ear let him beare what the Spirit saith unto tââ Churches Rev. 2.7 It must be such an eare as can heare what thâ Spirit faith It is only the Spirit that can heââ the Spirit speak that knows the languageâ the Spirit and none else man may or can hââ what man speaketh and of the minde of Goâ as it is writ in Scripture and to heare it in thâ letter as it is in the letter but to hear it so as to understand know what it is in the truth of it as the truth is in Jesus none knowes it but the Spirit of God for it is spirituall The word that I spake unto you is Spirit and life and this word is Christ And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory ãâã of the only begotten of the Father ful of grace truth Joh. 1.14 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God John 1.1 So this word is spirituall for God is a Spirit John 4.24 And none can hear this word but that which is one and the same with it and therefore it is onely the Spirit of God which is one and the same with God which hath that hearing eare to hear what the Spirit saith and this Spirit of God heares all the mind of God yea all the secrets of God He doth heare what things they are that God hath prepared for them that love him and those things the eare of man as man cannot heare what they be for they are spirituall and heavenly glorious things and man is carnall and cannot heare them so as to understand it It is a strange language to him hee doth not know the meaning of it therefore he hath declared all things to his Spirit and hath given us his Spirit and so this Spirit of God in us doth heare the Spirit speake it speakes nothing but peace and love and mercy and goââ will to us and what he hath done for us ãâã what he is in us and to us and what we are ãâã him and to him as we are Saints and ãâã Spirit will declare it to us by degrees that ãâã we are Saints wee shall know them for theââfore the Spirit was sent to us that throââ him we may hear what God hath done for ãâã Thus have I shewed you in some measââ that it is alone the Spirit of God that hearââ the things of God for us For the 3d. It is the Spirit of God aloââ that understands the things of God for mâââ as man cannot understand the things of Goâ because they are spiritually discerned 1 Gââ 2.24 And man is altogether earnall Mat. 1â 13 They seeing see not and hearing bear nââ neither doe they understand Isa 6.9 Mark 4 1â John 12.40 Acts 28.26 How can they uââderstand that which they can neither see nââ heare When Christ told his Apostles that he mââ goe to Jerusalem and all things that are writâ by the Prophets concerning the Sonne of Mân fââ be accomplished For he shall be delivered unto ãâã Gentiles and shall be mocked and spightfully ãâã treated and spit on And they shall scourge ãâã and put him to death and the third day hee shââ rise againe And they understood none of thing and this saying was hid from them neither ânew they these things that were spoken Luke 18. â1 32 33 34. They were the Apostles of Jesus Christ and ââe chose them among his Disciples to goe and ââreach the Gospel to all the world yet they ãâã they were men they understood not those ââings in the mysterie what should be brought ãâã passe by those things They could not chuse ãâã know what those things meant outwardây when he told them so plainly what things âe must suffer for they could do no other but ânow those things outwardly but those sayââgs spirituall were kept from them that they ââderstood them not For man as man canâot understand any thing but that which is of âân For the things of God knowes no man Hee âay hear much with the eare and speak much ãâã that which hee
the holy Ghost is our Comforter and the Angels are our guard to attend us And what can we desire more but ãâã have the Seale broke open to see what we haââ in him and Christ is comming to doe it ãâã yet a very little while and he that shall come wiââ come and will not tarry Heb. 10.37 Behold I come quickly Revel 3 11. And doe thou waââ patiently for his comming CHAP. XIII Christ is the Teacher and Governour of his Church CHrist is a King a Priest and a Prophet A King to reigne over his Church spiritually and a Priest to offer spirituall sacrifice to his Father for his Church and a Prophet to teach them He saith My kingdome is not of this world John 18.36 But he is an immortall and an everlasting King 1 Tim. 1.17 He ãâã a spirituall King and it is a spirituall Kingdome that hee reignes over and the children âf God are the heirs of this Kingdome Feare ât little flocke for it is your Fathers will to give ãâã the Kingdome Luke 12.32 And the kingdome of God is eternall life Joh. 10.28 And ãâã give unto them eternall life and they shall never ââish neither shall any pluck them out of my band And this is a hidden glorious and mysticall ââing But to you it is given to know the secrets of the kingdome of heaven Mat. 13.11 And the âingdom of God comes not with observations Neiââer shall ãâã say loe here on loe there for behold âhe kingdome of God is with in you Lu. 17.20 21. âry not in thine heart Who shall ascend into heaâân That is to bring Christ from above Or who ââall descend into the deepe That is to bring up Christ againe from the dead But what saith the Scripture The word is neere thee even in thy ââuth and in thy heart this is the word of faith âhich wee preach Rom. 10.6 7 8. And this âord is Christ John 1.14 What is heaven but the fulnesse of all happinesse and that is God in Christ and Christ ââing in us by his Spirit then is the Kingdom âf God in us and so far as he reveales himself to us as he is we see him as he is and have the enjoyment of him and so farre we live in âim and have out conversation in heaven that is in God For the kingdome of God is not ãâã word but in power 1 Cor. 4.20 It confâââ not in speaking of words but so far as he ââveales himselfe in us he comes with power enabling us to do that which is pleasing to hiâ and he reveales heaven to us here in some measure by degrees in his time as shall be to hââ glory and our comfort and in a great aââ high measure in some but wee cannot have ãâã in such a measure as we shall have it hereafâââ when our bodies are dissolved then wee shâââ be wholy in it there shall be nothing to hiâder us now here our bodies are weake anâ cannot containe him and there is a vaile bâfore us that wee cannot see him clearely anâ Christ is the Governour of the Church Isa â 6 7. For unto us a Childe is borne and unto ãâã a Sonne is given and the government is upon ãâã shoulder and he shall call his name Wonderfullâ Counseller the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of peace The encrease of his government and peace shall have no end hee shall sââ upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdoâ to order it and to stablish it with judgement ãâã with justice from hence-forth even for ever thâ zeale of the Lord of hosts will performe this Hââ is our husband and he reignes over us in loâ and so he governs us and all his lawes that ãâã doth set forth for us to observe is to love him ââd so farre as hee doth reveale himselfe to us âe can doe no other and he defends us against ãâã our spirituall enemies that rise up against ãâã and would devoure us And he hath made ãâã Kings with him 1 Pet. 2.9 Revel 5.10 ãâã reigne with him for ever And hee is our ââiest to offer up spirituall sacrifice to his Faââer for us upon that golden Altar of himselfe ãâã 8.3 And he makes intercession continuââly to his Father for us 1 John 1.12 My ââes these things write I unto you that ye sinne ãâã and if any man sinne wee have an Advocate ââth the Father Jesus Christ the just and hee is ãâã reconciliation for our sins and not for ours onââ but also for the sins of the whole world And ââe hath made uâ Priests with him as wee are âints for his Spirit in us offers up continuall âârifice to God by Christ of praises and ââanks-giving And he is our Prophet to teach ãâã We shall be all taught of God he will teach ãâã so plainly by his Spirit his owne minde in âââh a plain way that a wayfaring man though âoole cannot erre therein The Lord said Write the vision and make it âââne upon Tables that he may run that readeth ãâã Hab. 2.2 After those dayes saith the Lord ãâã will put my law in their inward parts and write ãâã their hearts and I will be their God and ââey shall be my people And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man ãâã brother saying know the Lord for they shalâ know me from the least of them to the greatestâ them Jer. 31.33 34. The Lord will teach his children by his Spârit in a more clearer manner than he haâ done and so farre as he teacheth them thâ shall all know him and hee shall teach us ãâã profit 1 Cor. 2.4 5. My speech and my preachââ was not with enticing words of mans wisdome ãâã in demonstration of the Spirit and of power Tââ your faith should not stand in the wisdome of ãâã but in the power of God When the Lord dâââ teach us by his Spirit that comes with poweâ and over-powers us and makes us willing ãâã doe and be what hee would have us so ãâã power is made knowne in us That whiââ Christ teacheth us to know is himselfe Ephâ 4.21 If so be that ye have heard him and ãâã been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus thââ we may know what he is in the Saints and ãâã the Saints Psal 65.8 I will heare what God ãâã Lord will speake for he will speak peace to his pââple and to his Saints All that Christ doth teach us is to knoâ himselfe and Paul desired to know nothing ãâã but Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 Anâ he speakes nothing but what is in him for ãâã that all that is in him hee hath purchased ãâã us and hee hath purchased us unto himselfes and we are his Wife and he will always dwell with us and be in us and alwayes uphold us and never leave us nor forsake us CHAP. XIIII God is very tender and careful over those that are but babes in him and leades them as they
Independents nor the Independents despise the Presbytery and those that are neither of them let them not despise either of them for those that are the children of God what form soever they are in there is the seed of God in them though it be covered with a great deal of drosse that the seed of God doth little appear yet that which is of God is pure wheresoever it is though Anti-christ appeareth more in âhem than Christ and seduceth them and âhey cannot see it while Christ doth break oâen his seales to us and as hee breakes open a ââal to us then we come to see more light then âe see what grosse ways of Anti-christ we have âeen in then we come out of that forme into ânother that more seeming glorious forme âhan the other that we were in before but Anâi-christ will reign in us in this form as well as in the other that we were in appearing more glorious to us then hee did before and when the Lord comes and breaks open another seale to us and brings us up higher to himselfe and âhews us more light than we saw before then wee see what a darke way wee were in before then wee come out of that forme into another forme more glorious than the other even the most purest and glorious form that we can find in all the Scripture Thus the Lord brings us from one thing to another from Papacie to Presbytery from Presbytery to Independency and the Lord is in every one of these formes to his people while hee brings them out of it and Sathan also doth transforme himselfe to an Angel of light and will be in that form to you for now you are out of an Anti-christian way and thinke your selves safe but you may hug and embrace Anti-christ in the mystery when you hate him speak against him in the history and the more glorious form you are in the more secure you thinke your selves and are ready to say let us here build Tabernacles And beloved wee make goodly Images to our selves the more glorious our forme is the more glorious images we make and the more liker God the more dangerous for that which is not purely of God so far as it is not of God it is of Anti-christ and we make an image of it and that which is like Christ for Anti-christ doth appeare in us like Christ we doe not know him from Christ therefore let not any of us despise each other or undervalue one another for Anti-christ doth tyrannize over us all some in one way and some in another and hee it is that causeth us to despise and undervalue one another for that which is of God is loving and kind to all and meeke and milde and causeth us to forgive one another and forbeare one another and overcome one another with love When Christ comes and breaks open another seal to you then you will see that yet you are in the darke for that light which now you have is a great light to that which you saw before but it is but darknesse to that light which shall appeare to you and then hee will shew you that a great deale of that in you which you thought was spirit will appeare to be but flesh which is of Anti-christ CHAP. XVII How God brings his Church into the wildernesse THere is a spirituall wildernesse that Christ brings his Saints into before hee giveth them a full possession of Canaan that is that glorious inheritance which is Christ A wildernesse is a barren place he will strippe us of all our excellent things so far as it is not purely of himselfe hee will come with the North-winde and nip and deaden and blast all our most excellent performances that wee shall have nothing to trust to but see our selves in a barren condition like a wilderness The church of God hath been in the wildernesse ever since Anti-christ began to reigne and Anti-christ is that which is like Christ yet opposeth Christ and it began in the Apostles dayes for no sooner is there any thing of Christ made known but the Devill will transforme himselfe as like it as may be and labour to set up his way in us and opposeth the way of Jesus Christ For every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that spirit of Anti-christ whereof you have heard that it should come and even now already it is in the world 1 John 4.3 Little children it is the last time and as ye have heard that Anti-christ shall come even now there are many Anti-christs whereby wee know that it is the last times 1 John 2.18 That which doth deny Christ any other ways in the history or in the mysterie in what manner soever it be so farre as wee hold any thing that is not the pure truth of Christ so farre as it is not truth it is of Anti-christ though it appeare never so glorious and it is said that there are many Anti-christs because hee appeareth in many wayes to us but he did not reigne in the Apostles time so as he hath done since for the Gospel was then purely preached but Christ told his Disciples what things should come to passe Mat. 24.15 When yee therefore shall see the abhomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet stand in the holy place whoso readeth let him understand When the Lord openeth our eyes that wee see it before us and in us then wee come to read and understand that the abhomination of Anti-christ being set up makes the truth of Jesus Christ desolate for that light that shined in the Apostles dayes hath beene quite put out and the Church hath been led in a very darke way for the minde of God hath beene sealed up with seven seales and all the time that the booke is sealed up the Church is in the wildernesse and there shee hath a place prepared of God and there she should be fed a thousand two hundred and threescore days Rev. 1.26 And this was the time of the two Witnesses prophesying And I will give power unto my two witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes cloathed in sack-cloath Rev. 11.3 God hath some alwayes to speake forth his pure truth in some measure and they that speake forth the things of Christ are the witnesses of Christ and they prophesie in sacke-cloath which signe of sorrow and mourning when there is but little manifestation of Jesus Christ then we are kept under by Anti-christ both outward and inward and then is the time of mourning Can the children of the bride-chamber fast while the Bride-groom is with them but when the Bride-groom is taken from them in those dayes shall they fast And when they fasted they used to be cloathed in sack-cloath which doth appeare that the time of the Church being in the wildernesse having then but small appearance of the Bride-groom to them then is
the time of fasting and mourning yet God doth feed and preserve her from all those devouring beasts that are in the wildernesse and there are seven degrees of comming out of this wildernesse and the Lord doth first shew us that we are in the wildernesse before hee doth make it known to us that hee hath brought us out of it hee will shew us our barrennesse by stripping us quite naked of all our goodly things that we shall have nothing to trust too then will he reveale himselfe in us and appear to be all in all in us and then he will appeare very glorious Hosea 2.14 I will bring her into the wildernesse and speake comfortably unto her There is first a dying to the flesh before there is appearing to live in the Spirit for while our first husband the law or flesh is alive we live unto him but if he be dead by the life of Christ appearing in us then we are free to marry to another which is to Christ Rom. 7.4 Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 We are dead to the flesh by the power of the death of Christ for Christ dyed for the destruction I doe not meane our bodies but that which is of Anti-christ in us and our life is hid with Christ in God for our life is in the life of Christ I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now live in the flesh which is in the body I live by the faith of the Sonne of God Gal. 2.20 But in the beginning of this verse he saith I am crucified with Christ Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in the crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto mee and I unto the world So we are crucified to all things that is below Christ 2 Cor. 5.16 17. Wherefore hence-forth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet âow hence-forth know we him so no more Therefore if any man bee in Christ hee is a new creature âlde things are passed away behold all things are become new We must not know Christ any longer after our fleshly apprehension for all our old imaginations of Christ must passe away by the new manifestations of Christ in us Rom. 8.10 11. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sinne but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you hee that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Here is a dying to the flesh and then living to thee Spirit It is aPpointed for man once to dye And after death comes the judgement as all things is and shall be fulfilled outwardly in the history so all things shall be fulfilled spiritually in us in the mistery Christ is risen in us and is come to spirituall judgment and doth raise up his Spirit in us that hath lyen as it were dead in us and the flesh which is Antichrist shall stand before God and be judged and condemned by him Col. 3.4 When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall yee also appeare with him in glory and we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 John 3.2 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power Revel 20.6 This is the first resurrection and the Lord is set in his judgement-seate to destroy Antichrist And then shall that wicked one be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightnesse of his comming Even him whose comming is after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders 2 Thes 2.8 9. Satan is said to sit in heavenly places because he transformeth himselfe to the likenesse of God and so deceiveth us making us believe he is God and so we worship him thinking hee is God How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer Son of the Morning how art thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken the Nations For thou hast said in thy heart I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my Throne above the Stars of God I will sit also upon the mount of the Congregation in the sides of the North. I will ascend above the height of the clouds I will be like the most High Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell so the sides of the pit They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee and consider thee saying Is this the man that made the earth to tremble that did shake Kingdomes That made the world as a wildernesse and destroyed the Cities thereof that opened not the âhouse of his prisoners Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy comming thy pomp is brought downe to the grave and the noise of thy viols The wormes are spread under thee and the worms cover thee Isa 14.9 to the 17. And there came one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials and talked with me saying unto me Come hither I will shew thee the judgment of the great Whore that sitâeth upon many waters With whom the Kings of the Earth have committed fornication and the Inhabiters of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication So hee carried mee away in the Spirit into the Wildernesse and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-coloured beast full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and tenne bornes And the woman was arraied in purple âearlet and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls having a golden cup in her handfull of abhominations and filthinesse of her fornication And I saw the woman drunke with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus Revel 17. All nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication Rev. 18.3 Here is a discovering of Anti-christ before she is judged condemned and destroyed and when the time is come for the discovering of her to us then hee shewes us her by a high and glorious revelation of himself for there is not any thing that can discover Anti-christ to us but the Spirit of God When the Lord doth come to shew us any thing of himselfe in the mystery he saith come up hither and I will shew you the things that must be hereafter and immediately I was in the Spirit Rev. 4.1 Rev. 1.10 Rev. 17.1 Rev. 21.9 There is no seeing of any thing of God in the truth of it but by the revelation of the Spirit of God and hee carrieth us as wee are Saints up into himselfe and the higher hee carrieth us the more he shews us of the mysterie of himselfe for as hee openeth the seales in making known any thing of himselfe to us hee saith Come up