when men draw with their lips and honor God with their mouths and their hearts are far from them many men would teach how to serve God and prescribe rules for the service of God and to impose this yoake upon Gods people they would sit in Gods Chaire and do in this as if the servant should teach his master what to do God did not do it nor Christ did not do it but man he wil do it by which it may appeare that all that will do such things would keepe the Saints in bondage But it is Christ and he alone that is the Liberty of the Saints and he is delighted in them if they hold fast their Liberty being thus set free by him Is it so that Christ is so our Liberty and way to the Father that he hath freed us from the bondage of the Law and ceremonies and human Ordinances What then shall we say to them that would keep us still in bondage by what power doe they stand or by what rule doe they walk It is not by Apostolicall Rule Paul blameth the Galatians for observing ceremonies and human Ordinances and for observing one day above another and bids them stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free Is it so that Christ hath made us free what shall we then say to them that would fain keep us still in bondage those that would forcibly keep the people of God in bondage endeavour still to keep the world in darknesse But what shall I say of them or what shal I liken the unto I shall therefore compare them to the Moon in the Eclipse which giveth not her perfect light or liken them to a dark Lanthorn which giveth some light but concealeth part of the light which is in it Theeves do sometimes carry a dark lanthorn it is best for their hellish idesignes profit and worldly gain What shall I say now of our Priests and Prophets under the Gospel I compare them to the Priests and Prophets in the time of the Law Mica 3.11 The Heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for mony yet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us no evill can come upon us Therefore shall Sion for your sake bee ploughed as a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps and the mountain of the House as the High places of the Forrest Our Prophets and Priests are now in a great rage they will make the people erre they bite with their teeth and yet cry peace and he that putteth not into their mouthes they even prepare warre against him as you may see Mica 3.5.6 I think the Prophesie is now fulfilled in our dayes as in the sixt verse Therefore night shall be unto you that ye shall not have a vision and it shall bee dark unto you that ye shall not divine and the Sun shall goe down over the Prophets and the day shall be dark over them Again those that would keep us in bondage under ceremonies and human ordinances they would have us walk by types and shadowes that is to walk by Moon-shine when we may walk by the light of the Sun pray beare with us we cannot but walke by the light of Jesus Christ so farre forth as we see the light Christ is the light of the world and we must walk by the light of Jesus Christ for he is our way to the Father and so the Apostle tells us in 1 Thess 5.4.5 yee are the children of the light and the children of the day wee are not of the night nor of darknesse we are not now to walk by types and shadowes as the people of old they did see darkly and afarre off but we are brought nigh to Jesus Christ he is come nigh to us they had the shadow of good things to come but we have the substance therefore let us not sleep as doe others Let us not be deceived by any means let us not keep our selves in bondage sith we are set at liberty by Jesus Christ Alas what enemies are they not only to us but even to themselves that wovld have us observe ceremonies human ordinances would they fain have full Barns and become rich in this world and yet would they have us to be poore in Christ and so perish Doth not the Apostle say that all such human ordinances are to perishwith the using after the commandements and Doctrines of men Coloss 2.22 which things saith hee have a shew of wisedome in will-worship and humility and neglecting of the body not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh Therefore I shall say unto all that shall read this book let your loyns be girt about and your lights burning Wherefore if ye be be dead in Christ from the Rudiments of the world be ye not subject to human ordinances and so far as the Sunne hath diiven away the Foggy mists of Antichrist so farre as yee see the light walk in it Is it so that Christ is so our liberty to redeem us from the bondage of the Law from the bondage of ceremonies from the bondage of human Ordinances then to conclude draw to an end let this be a use of comfort unto all the sons and daughters of God We now see but in part but the time shall come when we shall see him as he is even face to face 1 Corinth 13.12 And although we now know but in part yet then shall we know him even as we are known We can cry from earth to heaven Abba Father but we cannot as yet conceive of that fulnesse of glory that is in Christ that fulnesse is yours and yee are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3.23 Paul did see something Philip. 1.21 For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain but we cannot see that glory that is in Christ that glory that is in Christ is hid Coloss 3.3 For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall we appeare with him in glory There will be a glorious time for all the Sons and Daughters of God when they shall enjoy Christ he shal wipe away all tears from their eyes they shall say Farewell all my persecuters farewell my enemies I shall of you be persecuted no more I shall bee now delivered from that bondage I now goe to the Father Thus shall the Saints of GOD come from the East and from the North and from the South and shall sit downe in the Kingdome of Christ and then we shall partake of that glory and everlasting blessednesse which is in Christ to our everlasting comfort for ever and ever and then shall the Sons and Daughters of God bee freed from the bondage of the Law from the bondage of Ceremonies and from the bondage of human ordinances and seeing Christ Jesus hath freed us from all these alone by himselfe alone by his pretious blood let all the Saints be carefull be carefull to live to the praise and glory of him that hath given us this freedome and liberty FINIS
CHRIST Held forth by the WORD the onely way to the Father OR a Treatise discovering to all the difference betweene Lawes Bondage and the Gospels Liberty By IONAS DELL Rom. 10.4 For Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousnesse unto every one that believeth London printed by J. C. For William Learner at the signe of the Blackamore in Bishopsgate streete and are to be sould at his Shop 1646 To my Honourable Collonel Rich. RIght Honourable and Religious Collonel grace mercy and peace be unto you from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ The cause of this my writing unto you is that I may be one of your Remembrancers amongst the rest to the advancement of truth Right Honourable Collonel I have a little opportunity have gathered into a little booke these scattered meditations Not but that you know much more then I am able to present before your view but having no better thing to present to your Honour having confidence that you will not dispise the least Talent imployed to the best of any power I do make bold to offer these weake meditations to your 〈◊〉 hoping you will accept of them though weake desiring God that he will fill you with himselfe and empty you of all but his own glory and if you finde any thing therein that may glorifie God I desire that all may be ascribed to him to whom all glory belongs Your humble Servant in the Lord ever to Command JONAS DELL CHRIST Held forth by the word the onely way to the Father GAL. 5.1 Stand fast therefore in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled againe with the Yoake of Bondage THis Chapter is part of an Epistle of Paul to the Galathians and in this verse there is an expresse exhortation or declaration unto the Church of the Galathians to stand fast in that Liberty wherein Christ had made them free Now that which I would have you to take notice of in Pauls writing to the Church is that there is a distinction between the Church of God and the people of the world Io. 17.15.16 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keepe them from the evill of the world they are not of the world even as I am not of the world this doth shew that the Church of God and the people of the world are two for they are not of the world but they are one with Christ speaking of the Church in another place he calles them the temple of God 2 Cor. 6.16 for ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and and walke in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people so to distingvish between the Church and the world he saith in the world ye shall have tribulation but in mee ye shall have peace I did aske a learned man how the whole world became a Church he told mee that I was an Independant and he being a proud man would give me no other Answer then I did aske another and he told me that it was by much teaching but I told him that he was deceived And so are all others that thinke that the whole world is a Church the world is not a Church nor every parish is not a Church but a visible Church of Jesus Christ is a knowing believing and a practicall people baptized into the faith of the Gospel Now I will give you to understand how every perish came to be a Church or taken to be so by the people of the world but it is evident if you do but read the history of Eusebius he tells us that every parish was made a Church by the Proclamation of Constantine the first Christian Emperor by which Proclamation as is worthily set out by master Brightman upon the Revelation that at that time Ordinances came to be so corrupted that according to that Orthodox mans judgement the Church then fled into the Wildernesse at which time that prophesie then was fulfilled in Rev. 12.14 where the Church was to be nourished in the Wildernesse for a time and times and halfe a time from the face of the Serpent then in 13. Revel The beast rising up and the Dragon giving his power to the beast ever since by that tyrannicall power over-ruling by the power of Antichrist that man of sin hath forced the world and parishes to be made Churches as though that were now the Church of Christ so as now those members of those Antichristian Churches still standing to maintaine that worldly Church and the power thereof are as yet enemies of the Church of Christ for if Antichrist in his Infancy in the time of our Saviour Christ and of the Apostles did then oppose the Gospel much as the Scripture plainly sets forth as in the 2 Thes 2.4 In the former verses the Apostle exhorting the Thessalonians to looke to themselves and to stand fast lest they should be deceived for he tells them there that the man of sin opposeth exalteth himselfe above all that is called God so he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God If he the◠could deceive so much as to exalt himselfe above God and be to be God much more easily can he now being in power and in his Kingdome deceive many to make them believe that this world is a Church or that the parishes be Churches As our saviour saith if it were possible he would deceive the very Elect But they cannot so be deceived for they have a more perfect rule to walke by as the Apostle Paul well commends unto us 1 Cor. 11.2 Looking upon the Church of Christ seeing them to walke according to the rule of God not after the rule of men saith Brethren I commend you why doth the Apostle commend them Because they had kept all the things and the ordinances as they had received them from the Apostle Now if the Apostle doth so commend those that walke according to the rule of the Gospel then all that do not walke according to this rule of the Gospel they are to be reproved Why because are all we to be judged if we believe otherwise then the Gospel sets forth But now all those that believe that the world is a Church or that parishes be Churches they believe otherwise then the Gospel declares therefore all such ought to be reproved Now to come to the thing in hand as to prove the Church to be as I said it was a knowing believing and a practicall people baptized into the faith of the Gospel it is knowledge and faith and baptisme that makes us differ from the world Iohn 2.3 the knowledge of God and true faith causeth us to obey God and in obeying of God we differ from the world Rom. 1.21 We see some that knew God but glorified him not but they had not the true knowledge of God it is true faith
baptisme that makes the difference the world knew not God untill they do know him and believe in him they are not of the Church of God in the time of the Apostles a knowing believing and a practicall people were baptized and so called the Church of God and the Temple of God 1 Cor. 1.2 unto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours 2 Cor. 6.16 And when they did believe and separated themselves from the old corrupt wayes that they had lived in to the Gospel of Christ they were made members of the Church Rom. 1.1 And then making themselves knowne what alteration is in themselves to forsake the world and then desiring to be in the fellowship of the Saints which is the Church of God the Church perceiving this upon good grounds received them into fellowship Act. 9.26.27 Heb. 4 5. One Faith one Lord one baptisme Act. 8.37 If thou believest with all thy heart thou may'st so you see that here is faith to believe received before Baptisme Acts 22.15.16 and Acts 2.36.37.38 And I know of no power that was left to us to alter the Ordinances of God as to turne baptising of believers to the sprinkling of unbelievers this is contrary to the Example of the Apostles 1 Cor. 11.2 where the Ordinances were to be kept according as they were delivered unto them Now concerning the Liberty which the Apostle speakes of it is not such a Liberty as to change the Ordinances of God or it is not a Liberty to sin for the grace of God which appeareth unto all men teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously in this present world Againe it is not such a Liberty as to be free from persecution John 15.20 For if they have persecuted me they will also persecute you John 16.32 Our Saviour tells them that they shall be scattered John 16.2 Christ tells them that they shall be put out of their Sinagogs yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God good service If then Christ foretells that these things shall come to passe it is impossible it should be meant of such a Liberty Againe the Prophets were also thus in persecution for it is said of David that the drunkards made their songs of him and Eliah being left alone they persecuted him to take away his life also And in Heb. 11.36.37.38 sheweth the great hatred and persecution against them they were stoned they were sawed a sunder were tempted they were slaine with the sword they wandered about in Sheepe-skins and Goatskins being destitute afflicted and tormented whom the world was not worthy of much more might be said of these things but in proving these things I shall but light a candle to the Sun Furthermore as we are freeborne in the Nation to stand for that our Liberty and freedom this is not the Liberty Neither as the Apostle here doth command us to stand fast in though lawfull Having now made way we come now to the words stand fast having already shewed what the Liberty is that we should not stand fast in I will now come and shew what the Liberty is that we should stand fast in First before I shall shew what the Liberty is wherein we should stand fast I shall desire to speake a word or two of the bondage that we are inthrald in Briefly the bondage that we all are in under the Law is a miserable thing we are all by nature borne slaves under the bondage of sin and Sathan But from this bondage hath Christ Jesus delivered us Rom. 10.4 From whence will arise this observation that is that Christ is so our Liberty that all which do believe he hath fulfilled the Law for them and hath taken away the curse from them Rom. 8.1 2 3. there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walke after the flesh but after the Spirit for the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the Law of sin and death for what the Law could not do in that it was weake through the flesh God sending his own son in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us This is the Liberty of the Sons of God that when they come to believe they are no longer in bondage under the Law Gal. 3.23 before faith came we were kept under the Law shut up under the faith which should afterwards be revealed wherefore the Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith But after that faith is come we are no longer under a Schoolmaster for ye are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Rom. 10.4 for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth Every one that doth not believe is in Bondage Gal. 4.1 2 3 4. Now I say that the heire as long as he is a Child differeth nothing from a servant though he be Lord of all but is under tutors and Governours untill the time appointed of the Father even so when we were Children we were in bondage under the Elements of the world but when the fulnesse of time was come God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons as you may read further in the Chapter so you see the point is cleare Namely that Christ is so our Liberty that all which do believe he hath fulfilled the Law for them and they are no longer under it Christ hath freed us from the curse by being made a curse for us and therefore he calleth us no longer Servants but sons if sons then heirs Againe we may see it is the drift of the Apostle to take off the Galathians from circumcition and the Law this we may see was the simplicity of the Galathians though professors they did not know their Liberty they were not well grounded in the faith of the Gospell and so the Apostle Paul had a great deal of trouble with them as you may see Gal. 4.9.10.11 but now after ye have knowne God or rather are knowne of God how turne ye againe to the weake and beggerly Elements whereunto ye desire againe to be in bondage and so he blames them for observing dayes and moneths and times and yeares and stands in doubt of them and saith I am affraid of you least I have bestowed upon you labor in vane also in Gal. 3.1.2 saith he O foolish Gallathians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth and crucified amongst you Galathians 5.1 Stand fast in the
up to sin untill Faith came So I say had not Christ been our way to the Father wee had been miserable we had still remained in bondage under wrath But Christ is the way from wrath Rom. 5.9 Much more being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him There is no cendemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.12 For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sinne and death But had not Christ been our way we had remained as I said before under wrath without any hope of recovery This caused the Attributes of God to be set on work to deliver us from this bondage For man having eaten of the forbidden fruit God had said In the day thou catest thereof thou shalt die Then the Justice of God stept in and said Justice must be satisfied But the Mercy of God not willing that man should perish Mercy stept in and said O let not man perish whom thou hast taken so great pains to make him for thine own glory all things for his use Then spake the Truth of God and said If man doth not die Truth will be at an end For Gods Truth hath said In the day that man doth eat thereof man shal die So that Truth silenced Mercy Then spake the Wisdom of God Is there no way to find out how Man may bee delivered and that Justice may bee satisfied Mercy may have his request and Truth may be satisfied So Wisdom said Man sinned in the flesh and if man suffered in the flesh then Iustice would bee satisfied Mercy would have his request and Truth would be performed And Wisdome then finds out a way how that Christ should take flesh upon him and so suffer in the flesh and then the satisfaction of Gods justice was fulfilled in Christ as though man had perished and so the Attributes of God were all satisfied And all this sets forth the great love of God unto us in stooping so low and taking off from us the bondage that we were inslaved with and having done this for us by the shedding of his blood therefore he biddeth us to Stand fast in the liberty wherewith he hath made us free and not to entangle our selves again with the yoak of bondage Having now shewed you what kinde of way Christ is I shall now come to shew you that he is the Onely Way For there is no name under heaven that wee can be saved by but onely by the Name of Jesus Heb. 10.4 For it is not possible that the blood of Bulls and of Goats should take away sins Wherefore when he cometh into the world he saith Sacrifices and offerings thou wouldest not but a body hast thou prepared mee hee is the Onely way there is none with him Esay 63.3 He hath troden the Wine-presse alone and of the people there was none with him So he hath born our sinnes alone there is none with him Matth. 1.21 And she shall bring forth a Son and thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins So againe The Son of man is come to seeke and to save that which was lost he doth seeke and in seeking he doth finde them it is he alone there is none with him he is that good Samaritan that had compassion on us and bound up our wounds powring in oyle and wine there is none that can cure that wound of sin but he alone there is none that can comfort nor refresh the hearts of his people but he alone Christ is the onely way none can take away sins but he the Priests nor their sacrifice could not save the people as you may see Heb. 10.1 and so forward They were to looke to Jesus Christ Now Christ is the high-priest he is able to save them from their sins to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Heb. 10.25 so it is he that doth it and no other it is he that sets us at Liberty and therefore we ought to stand fast in that Liberty Christ is so our Liberty that he is our way from a state of sin and wrath to a state of grace and glory there is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit for the Law of the spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the Law of sin and death Rom. 8.2 that man that hath Christ for his way to the Father stands in the sight of God as having no fault at all in him the Kings Daughter is all glorious within her Cloathing is of gold Christ hath put a comlinesse upon her and so she is beutifull in the sight of God Canticles 4.7 thou art all faire my love there is no spot in thee Come from Lebanon with me my spouse with me from Lebanon thou hast ravished my heart my sister my spouse thou hast revished my heart with one of thine eyes with one chaine of thy neck thus God sets forth the Beauty and the comlinesse of those who have Christ for their Liberty and way to the Father saith he fair is thy love my spouse how much better is thy love then wine and so all along he shewes the beuty of the Church and lookes upon her without spot he likens her to a frultfull garden and a spring and a fountaine and fruitfull plants All these names set forth the gloriousnesse of the Saints of God thus set at Liberty by Christ And now it remaines further to prove that the people of God are without spotâ— I shall shew that all their sins are done away by Christ he hath borne upon his body the iniquities of us all and so we remaine without spot behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world that is the sins of those that are sanctified by him and so in Gods account are without spot Christ gave himselfe for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it and that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrincle not any such thing but that it should be holy and without blame even as he is holy Ephes 5.27 so you may see that that man which is not in bondage under the Law and Ceremonies and humane Ordinances but hath Christ for his Liberty and way to the Father stands in the sight of God as I said before without spot and so is made free indeed Iohn 8 36. If the Son shall make you free then you shall be free indeed without any contradiction who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen it is he and he alone that justifies and who shall condemn them now this is true the Saints are made free Christ hath taken away all our sins and our sins shall not be laid to our charge we read of the scape-Goate in Leu. 16.21.22 that Aron