not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this man's Religion is vain v. 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction and to keep themselves unspotted from the world Here we see St. James as well as St. Peter finds some that were willing to take up with an imaginary faith occasioned through the mistake of some of the sayings of St Paul Altho the same Apostle in such abundance of places doth so clearly explain himself by shewing what is required of them that are to be made partakers of the Crown of Righteousness as has been already proved And he also sheweth that good works is a foundation for us to build our hopes of Salvation upon as well as the merits of Christ 1 Tim. 6.17,18,19 And he also saith It is not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Rom. 2.13 And that we should give our Bodies a living Sacrifice which is our reasonable service Rom. 12.1 And also that we must maintain a continual warfare Eph. 6.11,12,13 And as we believe that God is so we are to believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 Now in all these places in which St. Paul writes plainly agreeable to the word of God and Christ the Prophets and Apostles we will not believe him in because they do not so well suit our inclinations But in those sayings of his which we have not understood him in we have placed our belief to the contradiction of himself and all the revealed will of God in his word And tho' St. Peter did forewarn us that in St. Paul's Epistles there were some things hard to be understood which then some did wrest to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 Yet we have not thereby taken warning but how we shall answer it before the great Judge which is just at hand we had need now to consider before it be too late Now the Churches that first trusted in Christ being more Eminently chosen and called of God and by the abundant shedding forth of the Holy Ghost upon them they generally stood But the following generations were but raised to that from which Israel fell And therefore by their miscarriage we had need take warning For the Apostle saith If God spared not the natural branches take heed lest he also spare not thee Rom. 11.21 And Oh! that it might be a sufficient warning to us Chap. XVII Shewing who are they that are condemned already And who it is that will find Redemption SAINT John saith Chap. 3.36 He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him This St. John spake of them that heard Christ and believed not on him The like the Lord saith of himself in the 18 verse He that believeth on me is not condemned but he that believed not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotton Son of God By these words it is plain that those that were condemned already were those that refused to believe in him And not that those were condemned for not believing in him who never heard of him For if so the Lord had then excluded all the first Churches who were then to be brought home by the preaching of the Gospel But we have falsly imagined from these and the like words as where the Lord said to his Disciples Mark 16.15,16 Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Which words has only a reference to such as believed and such as refused believing so as not to yield obedience to the truth when they heard it For according to the Commands of the Lord St. Paul saith The Gospel was preached to every Creature which is under heaven Col. 1.23 Now the Children did not fall under this condemnation because they were not capable of believing or not believing Neither do the Heathen now fall under this condemnation who know not the Gospel For none shall be damned for not believing that they never heard And whereas it is said 1 John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life These words do not exclude them that never heard of the Son so as none of them shall never receive life by the Son For there will be a Redemption in the world to come as will be fully proved in another Treatise And when Christ comes to judge the world and at the last and final Judgment they are all said to be judged according to their deeds done in the Body whether they have been good or evil And tho' in the parable of the Sheep and Goats there is but two sorts mentioned yet there is a third included in as much as the poor and the Children were not capable to be made partakers of the blessing or the curse in their doing or not doing good to the distressed Sheep of Christ And therefore the word all is not mentioned when he sentenced them to everlasting fire Matth. 25.41 And whereas Saint Paul saith To take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction 2 Thes 1.5,6,7,8,9 The word all he mentions not But he includes them that have the knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ yet in works deny him in that they will not yield obedience to him And the Apostle saith Rom. 3.19 That what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law So likewise what the Gospel saith it saith to them that are under the Gospel That is to them that have the Gospel and obey or refuse to obey the same To them accordingly doth the promised mercy or the threatned judgment belong And in the Gospel is required our obedience to the Moral Law And also he saith Rom. 2.11,12 There is no respect of persons with God For as many as have sinned without the Law shall also perish without the Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law By which we see the Heathens that have not the knowledge of God come not under the same Judgment or condemnation of the fiery indignation unto which the wicked Christians are condemned because the law and Gospel only speaks to them that are under it Neither did the Old world go into the fire of Hell And all being judged according to their works and according to their deeds done in the body whether they have been good or evil Therefore to them that has done no evil works there will be a general release when they are judged Therefore all Children will certainly be cleared Neither do all offenders fall under everlasting condemnation The which by God's assistance I
we have in our new Translation turned into Charity which in the old is Love for Charity will not sufficiently explain the meaning of the word Therefore it is said in the 3. v. Though I bestow all my Goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing That is if we have not Love for Love cannot be without Charity but Charity may be without Love for we may be Charitable by the way of Merit thinking to purchase Heaven by it and that will not do But if we are without Charity in the way of our Duty and Love in the fellow feeling of one anothers sufferings then is not the Love of God in us For St. John saith in the 3. chap. 17. v. But whosoever hath this world's goods and seeth his Brother have need and shutteth up his bowels of Compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him 18. v. My little Children let us not Love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth And St. James saith in the 1.17 Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Afflictions and to keep himself unspotted from the World And he saith in the 2. c. 13. v. For he shall have judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy and mercy rejoyceth against Judgment 14. v. For what doth it profit my brethren tho a man say he hath Faith and have not Works can Faith save him 15. v. If a Brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily Food 16. v. And one of you say unto them depart in Peace be you warmed and filled Notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the Body what doth it profit 17. v. Even so Faith if it hath not works is dead being alone We are not here now to wait for new Calls but to improve the Talent that God hath given us in that we have his word the good motions of his Spirit and the Checks of Conscience the which Talents well improved will bring us to Eternal Blessedness for if we take to the rule which he hath set before us and according thereunto beg his continual Assistance God will then never be wanting to us And St. Paul saith of the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.15 That from a Child thou hast known the Scriptures which is able to make thee wise to Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus By which the Promise is obtainable for as there is an absolute Election of whom it is said their Names was Written in Heaven from the Foundation So there is a conditional Election and us a Day of Grace Therefore as the Apostle saith having a promise of entring into his Rest let us fear lest we should fall short of it Therefore let us up and be doing that thereby we may make our Calling and Election sure for we are not of that number that are chose to be his standing Witnesses thro' the World and therefore may fall away the which I have clearly proved by the word where I have spoken of Election Of Baptism AND whereas St. Paul saith Gal. 3.27 For as many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ The which is meant 〈◊〉 the Spiritual Baptism whereby they become conformable to Christ as in Rom. 8.9,10 Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is Life because of Righteousness But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the Dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you The which indwelling of his Spirit is this Spiritual Baptism Now with the Spiritual Baptism there is joyned a sign or Seal the which is the outward Baptism of Washing or Plunging So as to be buried under the Water and therefore said buried with him in Baptism for as Christ was underneath the Earth so we should be plunged under the Water the which doth also signify to us that we should be Spiritually Dead to the World as having no delight in it or to it Now the Children of believing Parents are said to be Holy therefore fit to receive this sign of Baptism and they also being in Covenant as well as their Parents And by the Blood of Christ it is that both are made partakers of the Promises but to any that are of Maturity and not Believers the which Belief is such as brings our Wills over into a conformity to the will of God then Christ dwells in us by his Spirit and then are we Spiritually Baptised And if the outward sign and Seal is fixt on them that within them is not sound the thing signified It is but like a Seal to a blank Bond For St. Paul saith Rom. 2.28 For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh 29. But he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of Men but of God Now Children are innocent as to any actual Sin and if they come of believing Parents are said to be Holy and so fit to be Baptised and the Covenant of God made by Moses was as well made with Children as with those of Maturity Of the Trinity THe meaning of the Trinity is this That the Infinite God consists of three Glorious Beings or Persons as God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost and these three to be one God being of one Will one Mind one Power one Glory this being the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity which was from all Eternity and so continues to all Eternity the only true God blessed for ever more Amen Heb. 1.3,8 John 5.21,22,23 1 John 5.20 Col. 1.15,16,17 John 1.3 Acts 5.3,4 Wisd 7.24,25,26,27 Let us all learn to know God in Christ Christ in Faith by an Holy reliance upon him and a self Resignation of our Wills and affections to him and to know our Faith by good works and so to know the Will of God as to do it and before the knowledg of all other things we should learn to know our selves Whereas it is said in 1 John 5.7,8 that the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost are One so it is said the Spirit the Water and the Blood a gree in one as to the renewing of a sinner the Spirit of the Lord doth again Renew us the Water in Baptism washeth us and the Blood of Christ 't is that Justifies us if we take hold of the tender of his Grace according to the condition as it is offered And again the Spirit the Water and