he then conversing with them and instructing them and as he was so doing he was taken up out of their sight into heaven and they stood gazing up after him Luke 24.51 Acts 1.9 which things are not applicable to Christ within them Again it s said He shall come not in but with his Saints Jude 14. accompanied with them and they shall be all caught up to meet him together in the air 1 Thes 4.16,17 But in the spiritual coming of Christ in the Saints there is no such being caught up into the air there to meet him besides that thought denieth and destroyeth the Humanity of Christ and all its unspeakable glory upon its â—nexpressible sufferings for it springeth from such a conceit that there is no spiritual glorified body of Christ for him to come in but onely the mystical his people and it leadeth to the denial of all that glory that the Saints shall have in their bodies by and after the resurrection of them yea then we destroy the faith which witnesseth that even that that is gone up to heaven from the earth and is no longer in the world with his Disciples but is contained in heaven shall at the time of the Restitution of all things descend from thence and come again even Christ in that his sometime dead but now raised and glorified body to judge the world in righteousness and that then they that have here suffered and been put to death for righteousness sake and for their testimony to Christ shall be raised up again out of all their death and be by his glorious and divine power presented alive set free from all their mortality and corruption that now cleaveth to them and receive the great and full reward of all that patient waiting upon God and warring against the Beast the World Satan and Sin which untill then is laid up and reserved in heaven for them Acts 3.13,14,21 Then shall it be that they shall have no more pain sorrow crying or death but shall be compleatly like him even to Christ whom they have honored and whom then they shall see as he is and not onely have glory but appear in glory to all with him but not till then as some wrongfully understand or apply the things so spoken Thence need of Patience and Faith throughout all the dayes of warfare and therein to follow the steps of the Fathers who all died in Faith not having received the Promises for indeed God hath so ordered for the full performance harvest and full possession of these great Promises that one Saint of Christ shall not prevent another Abraham and Isaac shall not be perfect without us nor we without them the then living shall not prevent or be before them that long since are faln asleep and as to their bodies are dead Heb. 11.40 1 Thes 4.15 Therefore also they are grosly erroneous and to be avoided as destroyers of the faith who say that the Resurrection is now made or is already past and the day of the Lord even of that his discent from and coming in the clouds of heaven so much spoken of in the Scriptures is already come to them 2 Tim. 2.17 and they are in glory and have already as much fulness of it as is ever to be had by any These are the mockers fore-spoken of that contradict the tenour of the Apostles Doctrine These are of them that say they are Apostles but are not but are found to be lyars Revel 2.2 And therefore thou who ever thou art that art called to and believâ—st in Christ fly thou from them and gird up the loyns of thy mind to waite with long-suffering and patience for the great Harvest the salvation to be revealed at the great appearance of the Lord Jesus and the resurrection of the just knowing that those that deny these things are of the same strain with the ancient Hereticks long since condemned by the Apostles and given over by them to Satan for blaspheming but mind thou the faithful and true sayings of God and wait for them offering up thy very body also a sacrifice to God holy and acceptable by Jesus Christ to do and suffer his Will knowing that thy labour shall not be vain in the Lord thou shalt receive it in a far better state then thou layst it down in for him and therein also the reward of all those things here wrought and suffered for his Name Sect. 4. Of the Resurrection BUt because it hath been the old trick of Satan and a master-piece of his subtilties to stagger and subvert men as much as he is able about the Resurrection And because it is so fundamental a point and so properly Christian that the denial thereof overthrows the whole Christian Faith and Relâ—…ion and makes it worth nothing therefore I shall yet add something further for thy help against the cunning sleights of those instruments of the wicked One which are now as busie as ever to pervert thee herein That the dead shall rise the Scriptures are so full and plain and particularly the confutation of the Sadduces by our Saviour himself and the Apostle Pauls discourse about it to the Corinthians that there seems to be no possibility of denying it by any that pretend credit to the Scriptures and yet some such do it by eluding and perverting those Scriptures to other senses or other Scriptures that they conceive make against it as others do it upon grounds of Reason as they conceive against the Scripture I shall say something to either of them The Scriptures they pervert are such as that of Solomon The body goes to the dust and the spirit to God that gave it Eccles 12.7 which is nothing it all so much as in appearance or shew against the Resurrection of the body all those that plead for and believe the Resurrection of the body manimously affirming that the body must go to the dust the spirit or breath be gathered up again to God which is all that the Text says but we believe too that they that sleep in the dust of the earth even the dead bodies shall arise again out of the dust and both bodies and spirits united be presented before the Judgement Seat of Christ to receive the things done in the body whether good or evil Joh. 5.29 Isai 26.19 2 Cor. 5.10 which that Scripture hath no shew of a denial of nor that that one thing befalleth a man and a beast as the one dyeth so dyeth the other c. Eccless 3.19 for besides that Solomon there doth but tell us what he said in his heart not what God said to him we deny not that as to the bodily death men and beasts are both subject thereto but we say that they are not alike as to Resurrection nor doth Solomon either speak of or deny the Resurrection in that saying he onely speaking of what befalls men in the flesh here not of what their state shall be for ever hereafter That which they most insist on is
freeing not onely the spirits of the Saints from thraldome in a first fruits but their bodies also from death and corruption which is called the redemption of our bodies Rom 8.23 When every eye shall see him c. Rev. 1.7 When all that are in their graves shall come forth some to the resurrection of life others to the resurrection of condemnation c. Joh. 5.29 When all the Saints together shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and be for ever with him 1 Thes 4.16,17 Now as these men deny this his glorious personal coming turning all so well as their wits will serve them and their Father help them into an Allegory so in these two things they grossly err 1. In thinking that persons to whom Christ hath come by his Spirit and whom he hath raised and quickned up to a lively hope as in the first sense are thereby above Ordinances and not bound to attend them for indeed then are they fittest to use them and will be most profitable or profited in attending on God in them Besides we finde the Apostles and other Primitive Believers of another way and judgement when the Spirit was poured upon Cornelins and his houshold that exempted them not from the outward Baptism Acts 10.48 nor were the Apostles themselves exempted from solemn prayers and fasting breaking of bread Preaching the VVord c. even after the holy Ghost was poured upon them and Christ by his Spirit dwelt with them as is plain in Acts 4.24,31 and 6.4,6 and 13.1,3 and 14.23 yea Wo to me saith Paul even after the holy Ghost was shed abundantly upon him Tit. 3 6. if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 and the Bread saith he that we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ and the Cup that we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 yea in 1 Cor. 12.13 We are all baptized saith he by or in one spirit into one body and have been made to drink into one Spirit and Chap. 6.11 they were washed justified sanctified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God but what were they all above Ordinances therefore no matter for observing them No such matter but they are yet ordered about their eating the Lords Supper yea and such as whose election in the sanctification of the Spirit is affirmed are exhorted by the Apostles to Prayer to attend on Prophesying to stand fast hold the traditionâ— such as the Supper of the Lord is called 1 Cor. 11.25 received from them either by word or writing 2 Thes 2.13,14,15 Many other like passages thou mayst finde in the Apostles Writings which they writ to preserve the Churches from sin and error which may discover the falseness of that conception Yet 2. They err much worse in that confounding the coming of Christ in Spirit to the spirits 〈◊〉 men in particular with the great Day of the Lord when he shall come to the destruction of ungodly men and the utmost salvation of all that have believed on him the Kingdom of God in the hearts of men in this Day of which Christ spake to the Pharisees Luke 17.20,21 that it comes not with observation and that it is in men yea in the Pharisees working and tendring it self to their hearts though rejected by them but filling those that receive it with righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost with the glorious Kingdom of Christ which he â—s gone to receive and which shall be set up or made manifest in the world at his great coming when he shall judge the quick and dead 2 Tim. â— 1 of which he spake to his Disciples Luke 17.21,22,23 they apply to themselves as already â—…ne in and upon them those things that are proper to that great Day of his destroying the â—…eat hope and expectation of the Saints which 〈◊〉 that great and glorious appearing Tit. 2.13 denying and mocking at that his visible and glorious coming yea and where their principle 〈◊〉 somewhat throughly improved denying the Resurrection or Redemption of the body and â—…ying the Resurrection all thats to be hoped â—or or met with is here accomplished which we â—…all speak more fully to in the proper place and â—…casion Onely now I would have thee minde that they are strongly deluded herein and that they are of those that our Saviour there doth warn us of that say Lo here lo there see here in us and to us Christ is come and the day of the Lord is revealed with us or with such and such persons the Judgement is over the mystery is fulfilled the world is at an end and we are iâ— possession of our glory though others yet are not Believe them not saith our Saviour neither go after them for that coming of the Soâ— of man shall be as visible and evident in a moment as the lightning that shines from one enâ— of the heavens unto the other end thereof iâ— shall be open and manifest to all Luke 17.22 23. Every eye shall see him even those that havâ— pierced him and all the families of the eartâ— shall wail over him Rev. 1.7 As the bringing in and alteration of former dispensations or administrations of his Kingdom have been witnessed and evidenced by notorious Demonstrations oâ— Gods Authority and presence so shal this last alâ— teration be more visible and notorious then thâ— rest When God gave the Law of Moses he did iâ— in a solemn manner with the voyces of thunderings and lightnings the shaking of the earth c. by which he owned and confirmed it as of him and when he took away that administration and brought in his onely Son and the Ordinance of the Kingdom in its present external administration he owned and attested his altering the former and bringing this in by the gift of tongues and by many wonders and signs and divers powerful works and distributions of the Holy Ghost Heb. 2.3 And when the time of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken of by the mouth of his Prophets shall come and when he shall send his Son Jesus Christ again Acts 7.21,22 whom the heavens till then must contain to take an account of all men how they have submitted to him in the former administrations of his Truth and Grace amongst them and to render to every man according to his works shall that be hidden and done now to this man and then to that no man sees how without any poblike evidence to the world No no that shall be most powerfully and to the world with greatest solemnity declared so as none shall be thereof ignorant but all flesh shall see his salvation unto is people together and those that have rebelled shall be with wondrous terror delivered over to their eternal destruction The heavens shall be on a flame or the elements melt with fervent heat 2 Pet. 3.7,10,12 even these heavens and elements and the host of them that
sufficient to contain all those bodies in These are the shallow objections of vain brains that think God can do nothing that they cannot reach to in their reasonings against which for your defence against them let me say but with Paul Why should it seem a thing incredible to you that God should raise the dead Acts 26.8 Another way in which they lift up their understandings to deny this truth is by inventing and devising how to turn all the Scriptures that speak of the Resurrection to a more spiritual sense namely to speak of the Resurrection of the Spirit with Christ or as they understand from some sad or corrupt frames to Joy and Love and Light and I know not what they please to talk of whence many of them say they have here attained the Resurrection it s now made in his life and they have experimented it all that is to be injoyed But this error as it cannot consist with many places treating of the Resurrection as when it s said There shall be a Resurrection both of just and unjust Acts 24.15 and those who are affirmed to be risen with Christ in their spirits are yet minded of a further Resurrection yea even those who are now dead while they were putting to death by their cruel persecutors and refused deliverance in expectation of a better Resurrection Heb. 11.45 so the Apostle Paul hath directly noted in Hymeneus and Philetus as an error destructive to the Faith of many 2 Tim. 2.17,18 So that we cannot without open and manifest discarding and revolting from the Doctrine of Christ delivered to us by him intertain or imbrace such an evil conception Press on therefore my Brethren in minding the Love of God in delivering of his Son to Death for our offences and raising him again for our Justification so to experiment his Divine Power and Spirit quickning up your spirits to him to hope in and depend on him and to live to him as that you may therein prove a conformity to him in Resurrection in Spirit here and be filled with a lively hope of the Redemption of your bodies too from the bondage of corruption in the Resurrection of them hereafter and let not the faith thereof go for then you wil also â—…corrupted from the hope of the reward that 's â—omised and is then to be received the time of â—…unerating the services of our faith and love â—…e towards God and his Name being at the â—…e of the justs Resurrection Luke 14.14 and 〈◊〉 ye be corrupted there you will also grow â—…less and negligent in those services yea and â—…ll into all licentiousness Know that what ever evil and mischief may â—…e befall you in your bodies for the Name of Christ and however you may and must yield up â—bodily death yet he that raised up Jesus our â—…nd will also raise us up and bring us with him 〈◊〉 Cor. 4.14 If we abide in the Faith of him â—oted and stablished and be not perverted â—…om the Gospel and the hope of it that hath â—een preached therein to us and if this Knowâ—dge abide in you and the hope thereof be â—inded by you it will make you that you shall â—ot be barren and unfruitful but to be stedfast â—nd to abound in the Work of the Lord knowâ—ng that your labour shall not be in vain in the â—ord Sect. 5. Of Heaven and Glory BUt now to say what that great Reward and Glory is and shall be is above my ability is not yet manifest what we shall be but a great reward in heaven it is an heavenly not 〈◊〉 earthly reward a reward of and from God noâ— of and by men not worldly The new Jerusalem or the glory of God coming down from heaven upon men and taking men up into heaven where now also they that are Saints indeed and walk as such have their conversation What heaven is I shall not curiously inquire Its that place and state where Christ in his Humanity is for as its the subject of bodies I caâ—… and account it a place though as of the Spirit more properly its a State as when it s said Thâ— Christ is gone into heaven it s therein signified both that his body or humanity was taken up from the earth above the visible heavens where also he is contained and from whence also he shall again descend and be met by the Saints in the air as also that he is there in a glorious state of Soveraignty Power Majesty Fulness far above all creature earthy glories yea and faâ— above all heavenly creatures glory out of which glory he shall not descend at his coming for he shall come in it but from that place of his body he shall I know Mr. Collier makes heaven to be God onely and Glory but as in some other things so in that he slipt not a little into errors for in God he was while he was on the earth Knowest thou not that the Father is in me and I am in the Fatheâ—r saith he to Philip Joh. 14. while he was not yet ascended Neither had there needed any visible translocation or change of place for going up into heaven if it had been â—…ely to be in God nor doth that phrase far above all heavens signifie far above all gods but far above all these aery starry visible heavens To say nothing that Mr. Collier handsomly slips â—ver the speaking to the heaven that Christ aâ—…ended to and which is to contain him and â—…ys not one word to that Text in his Answer 〈◊〉 if he knew not how to elude it But to pass from that I grant that heaven doth not onely signifie place but also a state of glory or of diâ—…e spiritual influence operation government and advancement and this we are specially to â—…nd in it and look after and not spend our thoughts vainly or curiously about inquiring of 〈◊〉 as a place meerly as I might also say of hell â—…ough the bodies and substances of men condemned shall be in place yet the condition of â—o and torment is in that word rather pointed 〈◊〉 in which such shall be and as in a taste or first fruits as it were may now be But to return to what I was saying about heaven and the glory thereof while we are withdrawn in our hearts from base and earthy walkings designs affections c. and are in our hearts aâ—…ed by the Word that was revealed by and comes unto us from God and by the Spirit of God and of Christ the heavenly one and are minding and looking after the priviledges and excellencies thereby witnessed and led to we are said to converse in heaven and so we read of an army warring in heaven Rev. 19. which is nothing else but the Saints of God in the heavenly and divine Power and Spirit in which spiritually they live and breath making opposition against Satan and his instruments and so in like manner the high surpassing pure spiritual consolations streamings forth and abiding rivers of
according to some other more mystical way that the Scriptures had not declared if the testimony of Paul be valid as they seem to make it in the other place which they wrest to their harm then listen to him explaining himself in that place and the rather because he tels us in holding those things fast not according to some more spiritual understanding as is pretended but according to his preaching and declaration of them we shall be saved to wit from running into erroneous conceptions such as that of the denial of the Resurrection there by him faulted and by consequence from loose and evil practises and which is the issue of both from eternally perishing for indeed it is an undeniable truth that according to the judgement men make of Christ so is their judgement of other things they that believe not the first fruits of our nature really to have died and to be raised again and glorified in the person of Christ they deny the resurrection of the rest of the lump or body of Christ and of mankind in general and they that deny that must needs deny the judgement with its rewards and punishments following then what will hinder that piece of Epicurism Let us eat and â—rink for to morrow we shall die for take away the Resurrection and the judgement as we have said before and you take away the life of all Religion If then thou shouldest ever be so far corrupted as under pretence of not knowing Christ after the flesh to make nothing of and to be waved from the Doctrine of Christ as in the flesh dying for us and by the power of the Spirit raised again in that his body from the dead thou art in the way to fall from all Christian Religion and into all profaneness and Atheism there being so great a connexion between the foundation Doctrines as those concerning the person of Christ and the things suffered by and done to him of God are and the superstructures as the things that are to be done to and in us are and so great a dependency of these latter upon the former that if the former the fundamental be shaken the latter will soon fall but if the former stand firm the latter will be upheld by them or we rather in the faith and practise of them his Death being the foundation of all our hope his Resurrection a certain pledge of ours and an argument of the judgement in which all shall be judged by him and his glory the forerunner and pledge of that that shall be manifested on all that love and waite for his appearing Acts 17.31 Chap. 6. Concluding with exhortation for the Saints walking worthy of their calling Sect. 1. That exhortations are usefull and needfull to Believers TO all this that 's before said I shall add onely some exhortations and directions to you to walk as becometh Saints that you may glorifie God who hat hitherto called you preserve your selves in his Love and be useful unto others which I beseech you to suffer and think not that in exhorting you hereunto I put a burthen upon you that you are not fit to bear or that I put you under the Law Christianity consists not onely in Speculation but also and that rather too in divine vertue and action wherein God deals not with his Saints with Herbs and Plants that have no sense nor â—ason as they are intelligent reasonable creaâ—res so he governs them by his Word and Spiâ—…t and puts them upon an exercise of those faâ—…lties given them that they might not appear to â—eidle and to no purpose in them He doth not â—… take all upon himself to do in them that they â—re thereby left without all action nor doth he â—act them by force and violence transporting â—…em beyond themselves that they need no adâ—ce counsel or exhortation It s true they are â—ot under the Law of Moses either the types â—ad shadows to be instructed to wait for Christ 〈◊〉 come nor under the precepts and injunctiâ—ns as ministred by Moses to be shut up under 〈◊〉 and curse much less to be left to seek to obâ—…in righteousness by endeavouring after them â—ot yet neither are they without Law to God â—…ey have a royal thoughtâ— not a rigid Law a Law â—f Liberty and Freedom of spirit to serve God â—hough not a Law of bondage under sin and death 〈◊〉 law of grace they have in them and the soveâ—…gnty and government of God over them they have the Spirit to guide them and the Law of the Spirit which is to be obeyed by them that which the Grace of God received by them requires again of them and leads them to both towards God and man Grace and Love from God as well teaching and obliging to duty as Mosaical precepts and indeed the believer hath no other Law but such as springs from Grace and leads to answer Grace The Law of Christ which is a Law of Love even of Gods Love in him and that 's a Royal Law indeed for it giveth first what it requires again of us It gives power and spirit for acting as well as puts an obligation and ingagement upon us so and so to act The Spirit writes it and prompts to walk as we receive to work out as he works in us and to yield up our members and powers to him that he may write in us and act forth by us his whole pleasure and confirm us to his minde and yet we are not to put a fancy upon his writing the Law in us as some do that strain their wits to shew how God writes all the Bible over in man the Books of Genesis Exodus Leviticus and so on the Creation of the world of heaven earth light firmament herbs plants fishes fowls beasts and man himself and so of the Paradise woman tempter c. which yet they cannot strain cleaverly to their purpose in all matters but are fain to catch at here there a picce as their wits serve them and let the rest alone This is to turn the Truth of God into a fancy and secretly to withdraw the heart from giving glory to God in the belief of the Truth of the sacred story But this writing the Law in man is his framing the heart unto his own Heart and Will putting into it heavenly principles and dispositions of love and holiness and whatsoever the Law requireth That denying ungodliness and wordly lusts we may live godly soberly and righteously in this present world Tit. 2.11,12 nor yet because God writes thus in man do they put too much upon man that exhort to these things for we may the better exhort to them because men have principles to act them no man would exhort a dead man to walk because he wants a principle to inable him but to living men such an exhortation is agrecable though it be God that makes themwalk or that hath printipled or inabled them thereunto no man would blow upon wood without fire put to
enduring substance it wâ—… teach you also to walk towards others with 〈◊〉 righteousness equity in your several places aâ—… and relations if men in authority then to execuâ—… Justice and Judgement to shew mercy to the â—…flâ— cted oppressed to govern them under youâ— the fear of the Lord and according to the good laudible and just Statutes and Laws agreed upâ—… in the Land hating covetousness extortion 〈◊〉 pression and bribery not respecting person 〈◊〉 taking rewards nor lifting up your selves â—…oudly above your brethren despising and seeking to enslave them but exercising the power 〈◊〉 have for the good of all men and special protection and encouragement of those that are â—…ceable and righteous amongst them If ye be â—…rsons under Authority then be ye subject to â—…se set over you for the Lords sake whether worthy or unworthy good or froward looking â—… on them as ordered by the just hand of the â—…rd to those places above you either for your â—…rtties or chastisement and trial Thus the Apostle exhorteth to be subject to the higher â—…ers paying tribute to them and custom to â—…m custom honor to whom honor is due c. â—…m 13.1,2.7 Due that is by their places â—…ugh they themselves may be unworthy perâ—…s as those Roman Magistrates many of them â—…re at that time when those things were writâ—… by the Apostle not stirring up disobedience 〈◊〉 rebellion against them but leave them to â—…d in case of oppression and injustice to order them knowing he can alter them either by â—…al wayes of superior or coordinate powers â—…sed up by him to that purpose or by making 〈◊〉 of wicked men to pleasure his Church by inâ—…ding judgement from God upon them according to that saying Wickedness proceedeth â—…m the Wicked but my hand shall not be upon 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 24.14 And if Authorities clash one against another or one part of it with another keep thee to the utmost of thy endeavour to peace and righteousness and look to the hand of God in determining their controversies and be subject to them whom God impowreth looking at that during his impowring it as God Ordinance for the powers that are are of God Rom. 13.1 And so if thou beest a servant obey thy Masters in the flesh 1 Tim. 6.1,2 and bear the yoke patiently and serve them faith fully whether they be good or frowarâ— that God hath set over thee doing what 〈◊〉 good and lawful in the Lord at their commandment and for what is otherwise patiently induring their wrath and punishment 〈◊〉 they will injustly inflict it for so is the wâ—… of God to put to silence the ignorance of thâ— follish 1 Pet. 2.15 walking as Christ hath give example when he was wrongfully judged anâ— punished though he could have raised legions 〈◊〉 Angels for his rescuing If married walking 〈◊〉 that relation with love and chastity accordinâ— to the Apostles Doctrine yea to all men walâ— in all gentleness meekness love forbearancâ— apt to put up injuries So much as in you lieâ— have peace with all men Rom. 12.18 and as aâ— are in need of help counsel succour or supporâ— be ready to help counsel and relieve them to thâ— ability in all these things looking after anâ— walking in holiness without which no man can sâ— or injoy fellowship with God Heb. 12.14 Seek not peace with them then by denying thy God and Saviour thy Faith and the Doctrine of the Gospel or by consenting to them and approving them and much less walking with them in their unjust unmerciful wanton coverous riotous and licentious practises in things indifferent become all things to all to win them but be not so indifferent in thy walking with God as to become sinful also with them and to conform thy self in their vanities excesses delights fashions to them He that sells peace with God to buy peace with men makes an exceeding silly bargain Have no fellowship then with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Ephes 5.11 To sin with men is the way to strengthen them in sin and not to save them Take heed then of those loose principles and practises that some monsters of men under pretence of higher knowledge of God have run into as to deny all difference of good and evil in actions to make a sport of sin and to account it nothing but a vain opinion endeavouring to destroy the habits of Vertue with the contrary vitious habits yea accounting it the top of perfection to be shameless in sinning and to blot out of themselves all sense or conscience of sin tunning headlong into all lasciviousness and filthiness with greediness Ephes 4.19 to whom it is hapned according to the true Proverb The Dog is returned to his vomit again and the Sow that was washed to Wallow in the mire 2 Pet. 2.22 Such persons with their gross and wicked opinions and all tendencies thereto as liberty taking to carding dicing drinking riotousness ranting c. instead of fasting praying confering and reading of the Scriptures avoid and flee from that ye crucifie not the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame making Him and the Worship and Name of God to be despised amongst men for indeed that as was said before is one main end that ye are to aim at in all your walking viz. that ye might glorifie God unto the world and make his name honorable amongst them that they might be convinced of the truth and goodness of your faith professed by you according to that in our Lords Prayer that the World may know that thou hast sent me as that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me Joh. 17.21,23 Therefore also the Word of God is to be held forth to the world together with your just and good conversation that they may see what principles it springs from that ye walk so well and honestly amongst them that so also they may thereby be woon in to the same In both which respects of doctrine professed and conversation becoming it Believers are termed the salt of the earth and the light of the world a light to be set up in a Candlestick that it may not be hid Matth. 5.13,14 Sect. 6. The Doctrine to be held forth to the world and therein of the Trinity by way of Digression BUt now what that Doctrine is that believers are to hold forth to the world would require more words to declare fully then this inrended Treatise will afford room for yet something I shall with Gods assistance hint about it It s in a word the Gospel or word of God in which he hath declared his mind will to men according to that Phil. 2.16 holding forth the word of life and that Mark 16.15 Go Preach the Gospel to every creature Which is such a setting forth of the way of life to men as in which they are called upon to turn from all other things as vain and dumb Idols and to turn to the living and true God by his
Son Jesus Christ Acts 14.15 as the fountain of and the proper way to that life and salvation See the sum of it in 1 Tim. 2.5,6 That there is one God and one mediatour between God and man the man Christ Jesus Who hath given himself a ransome for All as an evidence of Gods good will to All that he would have all men to be saved and to come to know the truth This ye are to hold forth unto men that there is a God to be adored worshipped submitted tâ— trusted in and served the author of our life and breath and all things the fountain of bliss and happiness and that this God is one in Essence mind purpose faithfulness and so that All other powers that the Heathens have fancied and adored are Idols vanities and confusion all things empty and too weak to save or satisfie besides him that eternal life and happiness consists in the true knowledge and enjoyment of him And yet this unity of the Godhead is so to be held forth that the Trinity therein also may be acknowledged otherwise men shall not rightly apprehend or worship him according to the Christian Faith and Doctrine Concerning which let me a little declare my mind to you though it may seem a Digression because mens errour hereabout I find to be often an inlet to many other evil false conceptions I know some make that Trinity or threefoldness in the Divine being but only a threefold denomination of the same personal subsistence and that there is no other distinction between Father Word and Spirit but only in that diversity of denomination which appears to be an evident falshood in this that by the same rule that God the Father Word and Spirit is called three because they are three denominations He might be called seven or ten or more there being many other denominations in the Scripture given to him as Jehovah Lord of Hosts Jah Elohim Ehjeh Eloah Adonaâ— the Almighty and divers others but yet he is not said to be so many as he hath denominations given him in any part of Scripture Besides different denominations of the same person or personal subsistence may be convertibly predicated of one another as where the same man is Father and Son Husband and Master and Magistrate in divers respects there it may be said the Master is the Father and the Father is Governour c. but so it cannot be said of these three the Father the Son and the holy Ghost The Scripture never says the Father is the Son or the Father is the holy Ghost or the holy Ghost is the Father or the Word or Son is the Father though God is a Spirit and Christ an everlasting Father in regard of us yet not the Father of the only begotten Son nor is the Father the Spirit sent by the Father and yet these three are but one and the same God A great mysterie it is I confess and such as passes expression fully to declare and open yet a truth it is that the Scriptures many ways attest both in the Prophetical and Apostolical writings Moses hints it in speaking of God plurally and yet joyning that plural word with a singular verb as when he says Elohim Bara the Gods or the Mighties he created Heaven and Earth c. And again Nahashu let us make man in our Image plurally and yet by and by he changes the phrase and speaks in the singular number God or the Mighties made man in his Image with which agrees divers other phrases as that in Psal 149.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let Israel rejoyce in his makers and that in Eccles 12.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remember thy Creators in the days of thy youth and the like in Job 35.10 and yet more fully in 2 Sam. 7.23 what one people in the earth is like to thy people Israel whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbatim The Gods went to redeem to himself The words that we translate God and went being both of the plural number and yet the prâ—noun relative that is added is singular to himself not to themselves The two former words plainly intimating the plurality in way of subsistence and the singular pronoun the unity in Essence which also is held forth in Gods appearing unto Abraham in which he appeared as three men and Abraham sometimes speaks to him as one and sometime in the plural number as to more Gen. 18. Whence some Hebrew Doctors have also written thus upon the word Elohim which is usually translated God See Ainsw in Gen. 1. Come and see the mysterie of the word Elohim there are three degrees and every degree by it self alone and yet notwithstanding they are all one and joyned together in one and are not divided one from another These places with divers others as to instance one more that in Deut. 6.5 Hear O Israel the Lord thy Almighties is one Lord intimate a plurality in unity but other places express that plurality to be a Trinity or threefoldness in unity as that in Psalm 33.6 By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host thereof by the breath of his mouth or by the Spirit of his mouth for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both So that there we have mentioned the Lord Jehovah his Word and Spirit as the like we may see also in Isa 42.1,2 Behold my servant whom I uphold which is spoken of the word made Flesh Jesus Christ Mat. 12. who though he was in the form of God and counted it no robbery to be equal with him yet emptyed himself and came in the form of a servant Phil. 2.6,7 c. Mine elect in whom my soul delighteth I have pat my spirit upon him c. there is the Father held forth under that word I my he whose servant Christ became and whose elected and delightful Son he is and there 's the Son as before was noted and the Spirit of the Father put upon him The like expressions of the Trinity sce again Isa 11.1,2 and 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me there is the Lord Jehovah the Father and Me that is the Word as incarnate and made flesh and the Spirit or holy Ghost put upon Christ which things are yet more clearly opened in the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles as is to be seen in Mat. 3.17 where we have this Trinity distinctly named Christ baptized the holy Ghost descending upon him visibly in the appearance of a Dove and the Father speaking out of heaven and owning him for his beloved Son Here was more then a threefold denomination of one personal subsistence the Father and Son here are plainly distinguished for he says not of himself I am the beloved Son but of Christ this is my beloved Son c. In 2 John 3. he is distinguished plainly from him Grace and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father c. See the like in Col.
now are and the earth shall be burnt up with the works thereon even the earth that now is and that answers to the earth drowned with the flood in the days of Noah the graves shall give up their dead and they that sleep in Christ in bodily death shall be together with such as live to that day caught up into the air to meet him and be ever with him whom now in this body they are though Saints absent from 1 Thes 4.15,16 with 2 Cor. 5.6 and one shall not prevent another in possessing that Kingdom or the Kingdom in that administration Abraham Isaac and Jacob are not made perfect without us nor shall any then living prevent those that have died in the faith long since and received not the promises at their dying Heb. 11.13,39,40 They are lyers and Antichrists then that tell thee they have those things already when as many of the Saints or such as shall be so are yet dead in their spirits yea dead in sin It s true at that great appearing of the Lord Gifts shall cease and Tongues and Prophesying nor shall any man need in that Kingdom to say to one another know the Lord for all the subjects of it shall then know him when we are all come together in the unity of the faith and in the acknowledgement of the Son of God unto a perfect man but till that time as we have clay tabernacles bodies of flesh for our spirits to inhabit in so shall we need outward mediums for our helpfulness suited to our condition and Christ being ascended hath also given gifts unto men and appointed the ministration of his holy Apostles and Prophets with the Evangelists Pastors and Teachers to teach his Saints by for the work of the Ministry for the perfecting of the Saints and edifying of the body of Christ and to preserve us from being blown away from Christ by every Winde and blast of Doctrine even untill that time that we all come together as is said before unto a perfect man Hold thou these things fast then and be not shaken in minde by any mans words or writing or by spirit as if that Day of the Lord was always to some or other come come in the Apostles time to them or in this time to these as it must be if there were any morning light in these mens doctrine It s to be feared rather that these are introducing a more notable Apostacy from Christ that must precede or go before that his coming See I pray thee 2 Thes 2.1,2,3,4 c. I might insist upon that saying here That the worlds at an end in and with them for such like expressions drop from some but I hope that 's so evidently false to any in their right minds in that they yet live in the world eat and drink marry and are given in marriage as other men yea follow the fashions of the world too in trimming up themselves and seeking the riches pleasures and fulness of the world so as that Religion rather seems at an end with some of them that little credit will be given them therein Sect. 10. Of Sobermindedness and Humility TAke heed also my Brethren of those evils before spoken of that lay open the soul to the power of Satan and especially of spiritual pride highmindedness and curiosity think not of your selves because of your parts strength wisdom visits attainments above that is meet nor lift up your selves by those things that are given you There is an insobriety and spiritual pride that many times men of parts yea believers are prone to fall into to over-wean their own abilities Did not Peter err that wayes when he was confident that though all denied Christ yet he would not and we see what became of that thought it made him presume to put himself into the temptation more then the rest and when he was tried he proved as weak or weaker then the rest A haughty minde often goes before a fall Pro. 16.18 Men proud of their abilities and puft up as if they were some body in their attainments are nigh to falling for he that lifteth up himself shall be abased but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted Luke 14.11 God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5.5 And yet how prone men of parts or such as attain to much favour with God are to be puft up we may note in this that when God had rapt up Paul into the third heavens he presently after sent him a prick in the flesh a messenger of Satan to buffet him that he might not swell in a fleshly doting upon himself for the abundance of visions and revelations given him 2 Cor. 12.7 Flesh hath an inclination in it to swell even by occasion of those things that God priviledges a man in by his Spirit therefore it needs to be sometime taken down Paul was not without some feeling of it and therefore could the better warn others of it Not to be highminded but to fear Rom. 11.20 especially seeing our standing is by faith and faith receives all from and lives upon another and not upon astock in a mans self It s a vertue carrying the soul to lean wholly upon God in Christ his Wisdom Strength Mercy Truth Faithfulness and not upon its own sufficiency parts attainments in it self c. Now as he that lives upon God must needs live surely so he that lives upon his own fulness though he think it is God in himself he lives upon must needs live dangerously because upon an empty broken Cistern there are no persons in greater danger to fall into the temptations of Satan then such for they that live on high in themselves are like the drunkard on the top of a mast being drunken with a conceit of their own sufficiency they reel and stagger too and fro and fall down into the gulf of error and wickedness for by how much the more the heart exalteth and prides it self in its fulness so much the less it mattereth to lean upon Gods Word and mind his Directions and the less it mindeth Gods Word the more empty it is of the Strength and Wisdom of the Spirit that therein worketh and so the more apt it is to close with delusions especially with such swelling words of vanity and deceit as best suit with and nourish such conceits of self-fulness pride and high thoughts of self putting men upon bold presumptuous adventures as if they could fly up into the heavens and as if they had now no further need of Churches or Gods spiritual weapons no further need of Praying Hearing Scriptures Conference any thing they are ready to dare the devil to tempt them and sit loose from Christ as able to go on alone without his mediation but alas this is their folly for leaving him they are soon over-reacht by Satan who can easily hold them fast especially when he hath perswaded them there is no such thing as a Devil or Satan Take heed