never a true account of Stewardship brought in by any imployd about the things of God Thus much through infinite favour and grace God hath revealed unto us that wheresoever that spirit resides not which first framed the mind of the Son of God according to the eternal wisdom to judge of all things as God judgeth the love of God was never shed abroad in that heart for the spirit of faith works by love and where the love of God is not there is the love of this world which is of that wicked ones and the love of the world is enmity with God and the spirit of envy never makes good construction of the expressions of him it doth repugn therefore where the Spirit of Christ resides not there can never be good construction given of the words of Christ for he hath a name given him that none can read but himself and he is called the word of God therefore all other readers are false interpreters and that is the only in let and progress of sin and death in the world unto this day There be many who arogate a Call to interpret the word of God Some holding themselves set a part from the common affairs of this life in such sort as they are not to intermeddle with any temporary occasions but to have all things brought in unto them that concerns this present life by the labours of and means of others who stand not in that relation neither to God nor men which themselves do being men whose Calling is spiritual and therefore not to be imployed about any carnal things assuming Scripture for that purpose not only from the equity of that Law given concerning Levy but also as the Stand in the room of Christ who is of greater deserts to be maintained then Levy was There is one Scripture looks earnestly upon me concerning this Point which such men make great use of to prove their Apostolical Authority to require Tythes Stipends and Contributions together with the honour of the upermost Seats where they come with respect unto the dignity of their Calling and Office above others of the Saints of God in which regard say they all others are become debtors unto them to contribute both wealth and honour for which they aledge as one special ground for such supply as having divine Authority on their side 1 Cor. Cap. 9. Which form of words they deal with as they do with all other expressions in the word of God using it to mans ends and intents and not according to the mind and intent of the Son of God For that which they go about to prove their Calling by to be spiritual and heavenly is a direct Declaration given out by the Spirit of God to prove their Ministry to be carnal and earthly give me leave therefore as briefly as I can to declare from that Scripture what God seems as by his eye to direct and guide unto Our Apostle in the former Chapter sheweth the difference between Knowledge and Knowledge the one in way of the fall of man from God the other in the way of Resurrection and Ascension to God the one puffeth up as an empty blader filled only with wind above others the other is filled with love to edification which ever prostrates it self to the party known where or in whatsoever he appeareth the one sitting at meat or communicating in the Idols Temple the other refusing to eat carnally so long as the world stands rather then to offend the Brother-hood And having concluded that an Idol or an Idolathite for there is a generation of them is nothing in the world and that there is but one God in truth and verity though many do assume the names and titles of that one God yet an Idolathite is nothing in the world though they so assume and arogate the tearms because the Son of God who is the Maker of all things never contributed any thing unto the form thereof no more then it can be said that the holy Son of God did ever give out any thing to the being of the uncleanness of that unclean spirit namely the Devil which an Idol is concluded to be by the Spirit of God for whatsoever the Son of God gives being unto is a work of Creation but an Idol the Devils is that Abaddon and Apollion that is destruction which is nothing of the work of God in Heaven or in earth and so is nothing in the world Therefore but one God or power of Creation of all things for an Idol is the ruin and destruction of Gods proper creating vertue where it is erected which erection of an Idol is to terminate the scope true and proper intent of any part of Gods word in any thing whatsoever besides Jesus Christ and him crucified besides which our Apostle acknowledgeth he desires to know nothing For all other knowledge besides that or without that is thus explained by our Apostle viz. If any man or any thing see thee that hast knowledge or see thee knowledge or thee that art knowledge for such as mans wisdom or knowledge is such is the man for as it gives man his being above all other creatures so it gives distinctions of men among themselves Sit at meat in the Idols Temple that is continue and abide communicating in the word and worship of God as terminating any part of or thing in the Temple or Pallace in any carnal and fading matter or thing Shall not the conscience or shall not that knowing together in thee for there is a unity in Idols worship as certainly as there is in the worship of the true God in spirit and truth Of the weak that is of such as are sick or dead being without and destitute of that healthful Spirit of grace and life in Christ Be imboldned to eat things sacrificed to Idols that is what ever is in thee or belonging unto that assembly of evil doers shall be encouraged to yeild up it self to the Rule of such knowledge for all things in man are governed by wisdom and a spirit of teaching therefore all things concerning the sons of men make their addresses to the light set up in the mind of man of what nature or mind soever it be to take their form receive commission as also instruction for their progress in execution therefore thou Idolatrous knowledg set up in the Idols Temple art become the Authour of destruction for there was never any destroyed since the world was but by this thy knowledge which puffs up with pride as an empty bladder filled with nothing but with the wind of Satannical delusion where the substantiality of the Son of God never was nor never will be Therefore he saith Through thy Knowledge or through this knowledge for the party and property to know are never separated for man is not man but by ability to know and that with respect to a God to be communicated with and worshipped Shall thy weak brother perish for whom Christ dyed that is thou
that inferiour part or place of the sting of sin and curse of God Rev. 9. 10. made manifest in his word 1 Cor. 15 56. Oh Serpents this your false and carnall interpretation hath stopped the ear of man from the beginning that he will not hear the voice of the Son of God though he useth all his skil for the opening of it it is carnall and earthly interpretation in all ages that hath stoped the ear from hearing entertaining and approving the good word of God and by other means was the word of life never hindred from making entrance into the heart of man in any age of the world nor among any people or nation And it is only words of spirit and life Iohn 6. 63. that boar the ear and open it to hear the voice of the Son of God Psalm 40. 6. Iohn 5. 25. that they may live it is that which incorporates into the house and family of God so as never to depart thence for he is tyed thereby unto the door post even by that sound of the word in his soul that he can never depart from it even as the Servant that had served his Master seven years and would have no other freedome but what was found in that house and service was brought to the door post and boared thorow the ear entring into covenant therby to serve him for ever Exo. 21. 6. For there may be a Covenant struck by the ear as well as by the hand Heb. 8. 9. Therefore the Psalmist proclames Oh blessed is that people that know the joyful sound for they shall walk on in the light of thy face Oh Lord in thy name shall they be glad all the day and in thy righteousnesse shall they be exalted Psalm 89. 15. 16. alluding to the sound of the Silver Trumpet at the Wars Assemblies Solemn Feasts Iourneys and over the Sacrifices of Israel Psalm 81. 3. Numb 10. 3. 9. 10. Joel 2. 1. 15. The ear listning to true interpretation binds over to God incorporates into that mystical body of Christ and keeps from ever departing thence any more knowing the shrill sound of the trump of God which is the dictate of the spirit of God it preserves in the Camp for ever 5 Fifthly The Serpent is known by his act that is he crusheth the heel of Christ as the seed of the woman breaketh or crusheth his head so he breaks bruiseth or crusheth the heel or foot-soal of the seed of the woman that is of Christ Gen. 3. 15. For as Christ bruiseth the head of the serpent crusheth or squeezeth out the headship and power of the Devil so that nothing of his wisdom subtilty cruelty hypocrisie and authority appearâ— in the Saints of God in any of their wayes even so doth the Serpent by false interpretation bruise and crush the heel or soot soal of Christ or the print of the soot as the word imports that is whereas the Son of God in the Character letter or historical records of the word written in mans heart hath therein secretly and mystically involved his proper and saving intent which the Saints of God know how to take â—ut as their only and meet help Gen. 2. 18. for the propagation of their kind as they are the workmanship of God in Christ and his off spring Ephes 2. 10. Act. 17. 29. Even as the Lord tooke aâ— rib out of the side of the first man that great and original Character of mankind and made a woman of it Gen. 2. 21. for the multiplication of man upon the face of the earth Gen. 2. 28. So false interpreters they take out the letter and history of the word from the intent and mind of God and by that means bruise and squeeze out the life and spirit of Scripture that not a print of Christs proper footsteps which he hath truly taken therein can appear being they have carnallized them by closing up the flesh instead therof as though the glory power consisted only therein and as though no defect were upon man in the departure of the rib or bone the life and spirit of the word wherein all true power and glory doth consist which they by this means of spoyling the proper print of Christs footstep which he hath set upon all things in heaven and in earth terminating the form thereof in transient things which is the arm of flesh and so with the Serpent are accursed Jerem. 17. 5. Oh Serpents who by the bruising and disfiguring of the prints of Christs footsteps which he hath set upon all things rightly considered to make his way known to the sons of men according to the Spirit in closing up the flesh instead thereof to be the glory have thereby deluded and destroyed the world unto this day Rev. 9. 10. But these men cry out against such as stand for the scope intent life and spirit of the Scriptures which Christ saith his words are Iohn 6. 63 that they turn the Scriptures into an Allegory whilst in the mean time themselves are the only persons that so do for they will have all to consist in the proper allegory metaphor history outward form of parable proverb journeys buildings sacrifices and ceremonies and therefore in the laying down of one form and figure they take up another or else they would lose all their Religion as they must needs do at the time of their death for they have nothing to do when they come to heaven according to their own doctrine which they do hear no not to love God himselfe which they say only continues not understanding the speech of the Apostle concerning faith hope and love 1 Cor. 13. 13. for by their owne doctrine they deny to love God in Heaven as they do now here in this world for now they professe they love him mediately in another but then they will love him immediately in himself These are the allegorizers upon the word of God for they turn all into the proper figure Allegory Metaphor and misse of the truth and substance in all things 6 Sixthly The Serpent is known by his names and they are many whereof one is Pithon coming of the Hebrew word Pethen a Spirit of delusion that followed the Apostle Paul thereby to maintain and uphold the way of its delusion this is a certain effeminate Spirit oâ— divination that for gaine fi nds out a way by subtilty to prostrate it selfe to any forme of doctrine and that which seemes to prevail and be in honour with the most that it takes up with great applauding of the same together with the Publishers thereof Act. 16. 16. 17. And that this Sepent sets upon his own principles which are carnall and diabolicall which principles by that means he covertly and cunningly insinuates into the world by transforming himself into an Angel of light 2 Cor. 11. 13. for the upholding of the glory power riches and outward prosperity thereof as though the way of Iesus Christ were promoted and propagated therein Oh ye
that knowledge of which Christ speakes when he saith And this is life eternal that they know 〈◊〉 to be the only true God in Iesus Christ whom thou hast sâ—at John 17. 3. 2. 〈◊〉 â—â—d point in the cause of this wo they will not enter in themselves that is they will not pass through temporary and transient relations and operations to give the word of God its proper subject and intent to consist only in things that concern the kingdome of Christ which is not of this world Iohn 18. 36. but lodge themselves in carnal and sensual institutions and respects and will not enter into that knowledge or acknowledgment of that ministry of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 6. which saith henceforth we know no man or as the word is nothing after the flesh though we have known Christ Jesus after the flesh henceforth we know him no more 2 Cor. 5. 16. that is to say we acknowledge no temporary or transient institution or relation to be any part or parcel of Christ or Christianity no not in the most fined form that man can possibly mint or cast it into for if it should then would Christ sustain loss in the cessation thereof which is impossible the Son of God should do in his own body for then were he not one that saves to the utter most which the Apostle affirms he doth Heb. 7. 25. Therefore the scribes pharises and elderships of the world they enter not into the kingdome of God not having the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ which is evident in all their ordinations and institutions wherein they terminate the holy word of God and that by denying the proper center and object thereof for they may as well deny the Son of God to be the only sountain from whence the word flows as to deny him to be the only intent and subject matter unto which it goeth and in which and not else it terminates it self and there is a like denial of the truth of the word of God in the one as in the other Wo therefore unto all dissemblers of the word of God in this point who do avowedly not only shnt the kingdom of God against others but also voluntarily refuse to enter in themselves 3. The third point is that they will not suffer others that are entring to go in or as Luke hath it such as are entring ye forbid or as the word imports such as are entred ye forbid 1. That is ye deny and forbid any such way of entrance into the kingdome of God as disanuls and unbolts all temporary institutions and humane and carnal traditions without which your kingdome retains not its proper Spirit not can it otherwise maintain and preserve it self being properly the kingdome of this world 2. Secondly you suffer not them that are entring or entred that is such as are entred into that way of Christ according to that law of the Spirit of an eternal life you suffer them not to express and walk by the rules of that kingdome you suffer them not to institute such laws to authorize such officers to exercise such power as is sutable to that spiritual kingdome and eternal Son of God neither can you suffer them to reside and abide amongst you no if it were in your power not to have a place of abode upon the face of the earth the cause of the first wo therefore is apparent and evident in that it is the life of the innocent Son of God which we hunt after and seek for Luke 22. 2. Iohn 5. 16. 18. Matth. 2. 20. in all his Saints who have ever appeared in the world as the hinds of the morning hunted and pursued to be wurryed by wicked Jews scribes pharises and elders who stand strictly upon laws constituted by the letter and historicall narration of the Scriptures As also by profane gentiles who take a certain lycentious liberty unto themselves as though no command of God were come forth upon the face of the earth or religion to be exercised amongst the sons of men who live as without God in the world Psalme 22. see the title and also the whole Psalm Eyhes 2. 12. The cause of Christs denouncing of the second wo is expressed in the 14. verse in these words For ye devour widows houses under a colour of long praying wherein observe these particulars for the opening of it 1. First what the state of a widow is 2. What is the widows house 3. What is meant by this colour or pretence of long praying 4. How the widows house is devoured by this means of praying For the first the state of widowhood doth consist in these particulars First she is one who hath lost and is void of headship and authority therefore the Apostle saith the man is the head of the woman 1 Cor. 11. 3. Secondly a widow is desolate and void of a protectour for the man is the defence of the woman in all suits that come against her or challenge that can be made of her and therefore Abimelech saith unto Sarah concerning Abraham her husband Behold he is unto thee a couering of the eyes Gen. 20. 16. that is a defence unto thee whereever thou comest therefore Sarah is said to obey him and calls him lord 1 Pet. 3. 6. Thirdly a widow is destitute of one to provide for her therefore the Apostle stating it upon the man saith that if any provide not for his own especially for those of his house he hath denyed the faith and is worse then an infidel 1 Tim. 5 8. Fourthly a widow is destitute and void of an instructer and teacher for the Apostle gives that honour unto the man saying of the women If they will learn any thing let them ask their husbands at home 1 Cor. 14. 35. Fifthly a widow is destitute of means to multiply and increase the family therefore as she is a wife she is said to be as a fruitful vine upon the sides oâ— the mans house Psalm 128. 3. without which he is â—aid to dwell in solitariness Psalm 68 6. 2. The second point is what the widows house is now the widows house is properly and only that place where God is Judge of her condition that is where he is Judge by righting her in all wrongs offered unto her as also in discerning of all her wants and necessities for the supply of them and that the Prophet affirms God is unto her only in his holy habitation which is the proper place of his own real abode Psalme 68. 5. 3. The third point is what is meant by the pretence and colour of long praying or continued and extended praying that is when men interpret the word of God so as to draw out prayer or prophesie to be a continued act or exercise trade and calling of some particular men wherein they are bound to exercise themselves in the behalf of others more then the rest of the people of God be who as they say are to be exercised in other imployments
compared to cups and platters are said to be full of excess and riot and that in two respects First they are excessive in expending for they voluntarily cast off the Right of the first-born of God for temporary vain and corruptible things meerly to satisfie their present sensual appetite whetted and sharpned up in them by hunting after carnal things which they tender unto God to procure a blessing according to the law of the carnal commandment and the right of the first-born after the flesh which God never appointed to be possessed with the rights and priviledges of his house for flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of God 1 Cor. 15. 50. These follow the steps of Esau who sold the birthright for a mess of red earthly or bloudy broth Gen. 25. 30. for which he is called a fornicatour because he brings the word of blessing into conjunction with carnal things concluding the conservation of life consists therein and also a profane person in that he thinks so meanly and basely of that right of the first-born of God esteeming that spiritual inheritance in Christ as nothing in respect of the satisfaction of the lusts of the flesh Hebr. 12. 16. false interpretours therefore are ful of excess in expending being the cast-away the mystry of the Gospel as a thing of no worth by their so strict and pharisaical standing upon the outward and visible form of the letter 2. And thence ariseth excess in them in the second place in all their receptions they become riotous for they will not give entertainment unto the Son of God in any thing but they will joyn therewith the abillities of the creature his power is nothing to them unless the arm of flesh be adjoyned his wisdome is nothing to them without humane pollicy his righteousness is naught worth without one of an inferiour rank to make it good to them by laying hold of it and what are his riches without the treasures of this life or his honour without the pomp and glory of this present world Now if Christ be sufficient in himself in all and every particular then all things added which are not his are superfluous and more then enough brought in to make him honourable or prosperous therefore these false interpretours in all their receptions are full of excess and riot being they make themselves drunk and are besotted with the things of this life which are the subject matter of all their interpretations so that when this life ends the word of God in point of all hopeful things must needs come to a period and cease unto them so that in this life only they have hope in Christ by stating his ordinances and institutions in transient things and therefore of all men they are the most miserable 1 Cor. 15. 19. 5. The fift point in the pronouncing of this wo is a sharp taxation in these words thou blind pharisee in which words Christ doth collect all false interpretours centring them in one not only of this or that age of the world but all ages for there is but one false interpretour of the word of God and that is he who abode not in the truth but is a liar from the beginning and there is but one false interpretation and that is it which saith that that shall make us wise and God-like which God hath said is death to do it and that the wisdome and Image of God is not yet complete and perfect in the Saints but by eating or communicating in something it shall be made perfect hereafter There is but one pharisaical blindness which is that proper only to the kingdome of darkness and state of the devil there is but one lying spirit goes out to deceive but he will fill the mouths of all Ahabs Prophets there is but one unclean spirit to whom Christ saith what is thy name singularly and he answers my name is in the singular number also but with this explanation and multiplication Legion for we are many Mark 5. 9. my name is Legion for we are many There is but one seed of Abraham namely Isaac shall be called thy seed meaning Christ of whom the Apostle interprets it but this seed is multiplied as the starres of heaven for multitude And there is but one seed of the serpent or of Ishmael but it is multiplied as the dust of the earth for multitude There is but one light whereby a true interpretour perceives the vision for in thy light saith the Psalmist we see light but it is multiplied in all the disciples of Christ therefore he saith ye are the lights of the world there is but one vail of darkness or shadow of death but it is multiplied into every heart wherein Moses only according to the letter is Characterized or read 2 Cor. 13 14 15. Thou blind pharisce there is but one and yet this one is multiplied into all ignorant and unskilful interpretours of the word of God that ever were are or shall be which makes but that one kingdome of darkness and of the devil So that the woman Jesabel or that mother of harlots may as well say by virtue of that conjunction of the harlot draw me and we will run after thee as uttering her self in the prince of the power of the aire who now works in the children of unbelief As the Spouse of Christ by virtue of her contract with the Lord Christ can say draw me as the only one and we will run after thee as all the choice ones of God who are of the saith of the Lord of life and glory To conclude this point blind handling the word of God is but one blinde handling the word of God is disperst into many and yet there was never unity in Satan for he is ever devided and at contradiction in himself therefore his kingdome cannot stand but is perpetuated in its falling from God Nor was there ever division in Christ but is at unity and peace with himself and therefore his kingdome is firm and established unto eternity 6. The sixt particular is an exhortation in way of rebuke for their so prepostrous practice in these words first cleanse the inside of the cup and platter wherein observe two things First that Gods order and manner of working in all true ministry chiefly consists in purifying the inside of things which appears not unto any natural or humane view that is to preserve and keep undefiled the hidden man of the heart 1 Pet. 3 4 that secret and mystical body of Christ Jesus Col. 1. 27. which is spiritual and eternal not seen with any temporary or carnal eye 2 Cor. 4. 18. being that great continent and cup of Gods grace and salvation Psalme 116. 13. so as no spot wrinkle or blemish be found therein Ephes 5 27. no not in any part thereof nor at any time in any case that may concern it or by any means that can be used to polute or in the least defile or strain it in the sight
of God or any good man And as it is with man chiefly to look to the inside of vessels unto which things of worth are committed so it is Gods chief principal and first intent that the mystry of God in Christ into which all the chief things of his kingdome are consigned should be preserved and kept in purity without all stain or putrifaction and this is such a secrecy or inside of all things as no mortal eye can see into Iob 28. read the whole chapter to know how to cleanse it for as the seed of which the Saints are conceived and born is not mortal but immortal seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. even so the light by which the Saints do see is not a mortal but an immortal light Psalme 36. 9. 1 Cor 2. 9 10. Observe from this point that whosoever hath a form of teaching holding a certain residency of sin for a time and stain of corruption in the mystical body of Christ or any of the vessels of mercy appertaining thereunto Rom. 9. 23. Acts 9. 15. unto that man the Lord Jesus utters these words and in him to all of that spirit thou blind Pharisee the chief and only thing is to cleanse the inside of the cup and platter 2. The second thing thing to be noted in this point is this that in what term or phrase soever the word of God doth utter it self it is a sharp and severe rebuke unto all false interpretours of the Scriptures here is an exhortation uttered as a sharp and bitter rebuste of blindness in them to whom it was given even as Christ said to Judas when he had given the sop with which Satan entred what thou dost saith he do quickly not as approving Judas his act but to declare his restless and instant spirit through the instigations of the devil to work wickedness It is not as vain men think that the word of God only rebukes men when they sommons in a use of reproof no in what manner or form soever the word of God is uttered in way of true interpretation whether in way of exhortation revelation counsel comfort a word of wisdome or knowledge in promises covenant sonship or right of inheritance rightly explained and faithfully and seasonably set forth they are all rebukes reproofs sentences of death and just acts of execution unto and upon all wicked men for they are still wandring in the wayes of Cain and with Balaam they ever love the wages of unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2. 14 15 Iude 11. Therefore the whole word of God as it contains the curse either expressed or inclusive appertains and belongs unto them for the word of God cannot be divided no more then God himself can be divided 1 Cor. 1. 13. Therefore in whatsoever the word of God expresseth it self in unto the Saints they find a most sweet and comfortable intelligence therein all and every sentence becomes Gospel unto them testifying unto them from what they are delivered and into what they are delivered in which twain consists that harmonious mellody of the kingdome of God Psalme 16. 10 11. 7. The last particular noted in this Wo is what would inevitably follow in case the mystery of the Gospel were kept pure if the inside were cleansed in these words That the outside may be clean also wherein observe that there is nothing can keep men from defiling and being defiled in the sight and according to the judgement of men but only the conservation of the hidden mystery of God in Christ in its native original and eternal purity which only consist in the faith of the Gospel a secret hid from the world from the foundation thereof only made manifest in the Saints Coll. 1. 24 25 26. Observe in this point that the mystry of the Gospel is never kept pure when the word of God is terminated in any thing whatsoever that is inferiour unto or below the Son of God for as Jesus comes forth from God and goeth to God John 13 3. even so the word of God which word he is Iohn 1. 1. Revel 19. 12 13. comes forth from the wisdome of God and terminates it self in nothing but in that wisdome of God which is not found elsewhere but only in Christ Job 28. 12 28. for that wisdome he only is 1 Cor. 1. 24. For in whatsoever we terminate the word of God which is the proper character and form of his mind and will from which himself can never depart unto that thing what ever it be we necessarily assign a Deity and so bind over our selves to the worship of it in way of love or fear desire hope trust in it or delight therein or the like and it being a thing inferiour to the Son of God it is nothing else but bowing down to an Idol and thence it is that men are taxed for worshipping the Sun the Moon and the whole host of heaven Deut. 4. 19. Deut. 17. 3. 2 Kings 21. 3. Amose 5. 25 26. because they lodge the word of God in such inferiour things as being the scope and drift thereof do not take all things below the Son of God as meer plankerings or pavements upon which our minds may pass unto Christ For there is nothing in the visible heavens and earth wherein Gods proper intent is terminated in the framing thereof nor have they or any of them either the good or the evil in them which holds proportion with the mind and intent of him that formed them but become either good or evil according to the mind that passeth upon them for unto the clean all things are clean but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is clean but even their minds and consciences are defiled Titus 1. 15. So that to terminate the word of God in any thing short of Christ is to attribute a certain divinity unto that thing setting that in the place of Christ which is not he and that is Idolizing the creature which is that spirit of fornications and uncleanness so detestable unto God in all ages for it gives that to the creature which appertains to the Creatour therefore the Apostle saith there are gods many and lords many which men according to the letter and outside of the cup and platter impute power and authority unto but unto us there is but one God even that father or fountain of all things which we count upon and we in him as being made a fountain together with him and one Lord Jesus Christ as being the end of all things and we in him as being made the end of all things together with him 1 Cor. 8. 5 6. If the mystery of the Gospel be kept pure as Christ being the proper end of the law that is of all things relations and respects whatsoever and elsewhere we lodge not the word of God as in its sphere or center then is the letter rightly managed and all things become clean unto us But if we lodge the word of God as having its scope
18. 19. Therefore to terminate Equality in temporary relacions as the meaning of the word of God is a strong pillar to bear up and establish the Tomb of the Prophet And in these three points of Supportacion of the Tombs of the Prophets wherin their spirit is departed stands the enervating and disanulling of the fift Commandement and he that is guilty of one hee is guilty of all James 2. 10. 4 The fourth pillar supporting the Tombs of the Prophets for the expunging of their spirit out of the world that men may send gifts and gratifications one to another rejoyceing in the glory of the flesh by abandoning the deeds of the spirit Revel 11. 7. 8. 9. 10. stand in the abrogacion of the sixt Commandement Thou shalt not kill but shalt preserve life wherin all meanes of offence and defence are strictly given in charge for the effecting whereof how many are the terms relacions and respects of Honour contrived and composed in Military affaires and Disciplin according to the differing peoples and Nacions wherein it is exercised with their severall Engines and Instruments to attayn their ends and that from the Law of the carnall Commandement as it is written in all mens hearts Rom. 2. 14. 15. And when the word of God is expounded so as to consist in any thing as is naturally brought forth in the heart of man destitute of the spirit of Christ that is a meer karkasse of the Scripture voyd of the spirit of true prophesy so that to place the word of God in warlike affaires attayning its end in gaining or recovering temporary interests of honour riches lands places offices revenues safety or destruction of body goods and the like this may be done as a karkasse of the Law voyd of the spirit and life of it and so no more but a Tomb wherein the Prophet lies buried And the parties thus teaching and submiting to such Doctrin by working accordingly may and are destitute of the current of the Law how it runs wherein the proper plea stands and what is the tru point of issue For the Law is spirituall but the mind of man never so much refined by humane Learning gives a carnall construction therof Rom. 7. 14. But true Martiall Discipline that is of God must have Eternity in it elce it is not of God And all warlike affaires temporarily managed without the spirit of Christ is an unclean thing yea the Tombes of the Prophets and all the strength manifested therein is but as dead mens bones accompanied with rottennesse and filthinesse For the Military affaires intended by the word of God calling him The Lord of Hosts or of Armies Psalm 46. 7. Psalm 48. 8. is to be followers of the Lamb upon mount Zion as an Army of an hundred forty and four thousand every one of the twelve Tribes being multiplied into twelve thousands to signify unto all men that in whom soever Christ Iesus becomes a Root in Israel whether the Root in David Revel 5. 5. or a Root in Iesse Isay â—1 10. or the Root in Ephraim or any of the Tribes Judges 5. 12. 13. 14. 15. he multiplies himselfe into a compleat and triumphant Host for the conquering of whatsoever opposeth him who have their fathers name as the Motto in their Ensigne written in their foreheads that is the authority and power of God alone openly chearfully and boldly professed and maintayned amongst them Revel 14. 1 And for the Harnesse wherewith the spirit of the Prophet strengthens and animates it selfe it is the whole armour of God for a good souldier of Christ hath his loynes girt about with truth and hath the breast-plate of righteousnesse the helmet of salvacion the shield of faith his feet shod with the preparacion of the Gospell of peace the sword of the spirit which is the word of God and therefore a spirituall war praying with all supplication in the spirit watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints Ephes 6. 14 -18 And for their Onsets and Assaults it is to resist the Devill in the stedfastnesse of Faith 1 Pet. 5. 9. to quench the fiery darts of Satan Ephes 6. 16. and war a good warfare according to the Prophesies that are gone before of every son of God 1 Tim. 1. 18. centring themselves in each of them as their proper intent in whom they are fulfilled and made good by which wee are made able to war a good warfare For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginacions and every high thing that exalts it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 4. 5. And so much for the four Pillars upon which the Tombs of the Prophets are erected and are every one of them a compleat grave wherein Christ is buried that he appears not in the world but in a sensuall respect 1 For the Superiority and Authority of the world is a grave wherein Christ as King is covered with that dust or earth and men walk over it and perceive it not Luke 11. 44. 2 The Inferiority and temporary Subjection of the world is a grave wherein the High-priest of our profession lies hid and covered mens eyes being directed unto that Monument that they perceive not the Subjection of the Son of God who humbled himselfe and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse 1 Phil. 2. 8. Hebr. 3. 1. 3 The Doctrin of Equals in the world is a Monument to cover Christ as he is the First-born of God when they state Equals in King and King earthly in Priest and Priest made by men in Captain and Captain only for the slaughter or preservacion of an earthly body or corporacion these things in Equality being made the scope of their Doctrin do fill the eys of men as a Monument set upon a grave and so hide the state of the first-bornship that is in Christ Iesus where every one hath equall Dignity for every Saint and Son of God is the first prime and chief act of God for the tru form of Christ Gal. 4. 19. is the principall and chiefe work that ever God did and all other things whatsoever are subservient thereunto Rom. 11. 36. P ov 16. 4. No direct nor tru Equality can bee found therefore out of the Son of God which is hid and buried by false interpretacions of the Word of God 4 The fourth particular is a grave to bury Christ as he is the Captain of our Salvacion Hebr. 2. 10. whilst men set up a Hearse of temporary Conquest over the bodies of men to be the end and accomplishment of the word of God for which their prayse is to be returned which hath not Eternity in it for they dare not lay prayses upon the Altar for that they have thrust mens souls down to Hell therefore a temporary act that mens eyes must be held
it is common to carnal Israel in all ages to stand upon and imploy themselves in types shadows bodily exercises and temporary institutions that perish in their use Col. 2. 20 21 22. In this point of their doctrine let all men judge have these men that so teach more opprobation from God of the acceptation of their sacrifices in any of their offerings than Abel had Heb. 11. 4. Do men now walk nearer to God than Enock did who tasted not of any thing that savoured of death Gen. 5. 24. Heb. 11. 5. Have men attained to more skill in these dayes than Noah had who could make a house to contain all creatures according to their kind both clean and unclean Gen. 7. 7 8 9. and yet it is of no lesse difficulty to make one field to contain both Wheat and Tares Mat. 13. 25 26 27. Was ever man more in favour with God than Abraham with whom the Lord is said to eat drink to walk with him towards Sodom and converse with him about Sodom so as he will hide nothing from Abraham Gen. 18 who is therefore called Gods friend or familiar Iames 2. 23. Did ever man in these dayes stand nearer to God or attain a clearer vision and aspect of God than Moses who talked with him face to face as a man speaks to his friend Exod. 33. 11. had ever man more power with God in these dayes than Jacob had who as a Prince prevailed with God and with men and had power Gen. 32. 28. Can any man in these dayes in the finishing of his ministry attain to a more honourable Funerall than Eliah did or give a more effectual and honourable Legacie than he did in his departure 2 King 2. 9. â—15 It may seeme strange considering the voice of Scripture and the nature of the Son of God who is yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb 13. 8. that men should beleeve such doctrine as proclames Christ to be nearer and more effectual and glorious in the Saints in one age of the world than in another but by this means we see they glorifie themselves and say we are not in so low and mean wayes of dispensation as our Fathers were and by this means hide the Devil in their doctrine by telling men from this ground that how ever so pure and glorious estate appear not now in the Saints nor those operations of the Spirit so plentifully powred out as the Scriptures foretell and make mention of nor that reall presence of Christ in his ordinances yet a time is coming wherein a more glorious Dispensation shall appear for the fulfilment and making good of all such Prophesieâ— and Promises as are recorded in the word of God Acts 2. 18. Mark â—6 17 18. and thus men have been deluded and the word of God falsified from the heginning of the World unto this day by mens vayn Tradicions with respect to time past conjecturall and meer imaginary hopes for time to come never yeelding unto Christ the reality and compleat blessing of his presence upon the Earth Exod 3â— 14. 15. but slanderously intreat and cruelly persecute him when or in whomsoever he appeareth Mat. 5. 11. Iohn 15. 20. Acts 7. 52. 3 Hence ariseth a third point in what they teach that is They falsly translate the matter to justify themselves in their present wickednesse as though they themselves were of that spirit which loves maintayns and justifies the Cause of the Prophets and impute the persecution and murdering of the Prophets only to their fathers to be an act done in their fathers dayes as though their time afforded no such thing And in like manner impute the spirit of wickednesse unto Christ and translate their own practice unto him to justify themselves thereby to be the holy ones of God whilst they are seeking the life of the Son of God to entrap and ensnare him as an evill doer a friend of Publicans and Sinners a gluttonous person a wine bibber a Samaritan and one that hath a Devil and works by the power of Belzebub the chief of Devils Mat. 11. 19 Iohn 8. 48. Mat. 12. 24. Thus they translate the state of the Son of God into the condicion of the Devil as being a practicioner of Devilism and the state of the Devill as the state and condicion of Christ a lover and maintayner of the Prophets which is the very way of all false interpreters of the Word of God who to varnish and colour over their deceitfull and cruell spirit and practices cry out against Hereticks Scismaticks Blasphemers and enemies of Church and State as themselves being innocent friends to Religion and upholders of State and all good Order and are no such persons as their forefathers have been out of whose loyns they are come and upon whose proper principles they do proceed these are men of close conveyance by sleight of hand in their Ministry the juglers of the Time the witches of the world in all the ages thereof according to the tru intent of the word of God concerning witchcraft for the Hebrew word Cashaph signifying a changing or turning intending properly false Teachers as our Apostle witneseth Gal. 4. 1. such as Iannes and Iambres were who withstood Moses alluding to the Sorcerers in Egypt which the Apostle met with in his dayes 2 Tim. 3. 8. such as change the things of God into things humane the Eternall Ordinances and Offices of Christ into such as are transitory Institucions of men Col. 2. 20 21 22. who delude men by proposing a false object and corrupting the ayer or medium of doctrin in the conveyance of the ey to the object For as the word of Blessing in all its expressions terminates it selfe as its proper scope in the playn and saving liberty of the Spirit in the Son of God so also the word of the Curse in all the manifestacions thereof terminates it selfe in that guilefull destructive enthraling spirit of entanglement of that son of perdicion which is the Reall Communion of the Woman with the Serpent whereby the off-spring of the Devill is brought forth as the other is the real fellowship of the Bride and Bridegroom whereby the Son of God that off-spring of Heaven is brought to light in his tru Office and Exercise and as these Ministers place the highest excellency of Christ now in exercise and being on the Earth in point of Regall Authority and Priestly Vertu in Officers made and appointed by men so also they place the basest degree of Satans Subtilty in simple women loaden with iniquity whom they can easily snare in the words uttered for their own defence with the help of som envious witnesse prejudic'd against them whilst they themselves do not only passe away in the croud as innocent finding out and revealing of the iniquity of the Times but also sit as judges of them and as gods over them for execution The third generall point noted in the Text is what these Interpreters are in point
of Office that is they are witnesses unto themselves or as the word will allow witnesses in themselves That they are the childreu of them that murthered the Prophets In which observe two things first that respect which the fathers after the flesh have to them as being their originall and predecessors secondly the respect which they have to the fathers as being their children and off-spring 1 First they confesse that their fathers were murtherers they killed the prophets therefore they acknowledg according to the tru intent of the Law that they themselves are murderers for whatsover may be said of an ancestour that may be truly said of the off-spring and therefore Levi is truly said to pay Tythes in his father Abraham being in his loynes when Melkizedek met him Hâ—br 7. 9 10. For in all the works of God Time weares not out in the off-spring the tru nature disposicion and quality of the progenitor for the off-spring retaines the properties of the progenitor in all points What might be sayd of a Lion in the beginning the same may be sayd of him now what might be sayd of a Lamb in the beginning the same may be sayd of him now and so of all the creatures upon the Earth What was sayd of the Serpent in the begining the same is tru of his off-spring at this day if falsifying of the word of God was the spirit of the Devill in the Serpent at the begining then false interpretacion of the word of God is the same spirit of the Devill in the actors thereof at this day what or whomsoever they may be or seem to appear 2 Secondly as they are the children of such parents wee know that none can assume a child like relacion but he must therein assume the fathers operacion or elce how should the child come by his being therefore they conclude themselves under the act and guilt of murder even of taking away the life of the Prophets in that they are the seed and off spring of them who did it before for the disposicion and operacion of the progenitor departs not from the tru seed and off-spring Exod. 20. 5. therefore the sins of the fathers are visited in the children unto the thirds and to the fourths of them that hate the Lord the word generacion is not in the Hebrew Text the thirds signifying the full and compleat condicion of all haters of God as Three that bear witnesse in Heaven are a compleat and perfect testimony and yet but One 1 Iohn 5. 7. and the fourths being the Number of Extension as the four Corners of the Earth comprehend the whole World in all the parts thereof signifying unto us that all and every sin in that whole estate of the haters of God are inflicted upon every particular party found therein and therefore accordingly in point of opposition there is no period or bound set unto Gods mercy in them that love him in the preservacion of his Law in the purity thereof he therefore that is related unto God in Christ as a son bears the same disposition and hath the same operacions of the Father really reckoned upon him and is in the exercise thereof according to the tru intent of the word of God therefore is that speech uttered by Christ hitherto the Father works and I work Iohn 5. 17. and however the carnall eye of the Iew never saw the man Iesus making this visible World yet without him was not any thing made that was made Iohn 1. 3. and the spirit of the Son being one with the Father is a sufficient testimony and witnesse in every Saint of God of his unity with the Father in his whol work as really as the same spirit witnesseth a unity or faith between the Creator and the creature so that hee which denies unity in the whol work of God not having the witnesse thereof he denies also unity in the Contract and Covenant of God not having any witnesse in himselfe thereof but remaines in the state of unbelief and hath that spirit which as it witnesseth relacion in generacion to him who is a murderer from the beginning so hath it the testimony of unity in the act in it self of being under the guilt of crucifying the son of God for if we confesse a certain innocency in our Progenitours in the act of creation destitute of the righteousness of God in Christ we therin testifie our selvs to be destitute of the righteousnes of God in Christ at this day and a Pharasaical righteousnesse is the most we attain unto and if we confesse our Progenitors of whom we properly do proceed to be actors in falling from God under guilt of sin and out of the favour of God for a moment or any point of time we have the witnesse in our selves that we are now in the way of the fall under guilt and condemnation and out of Gods favour and love unto this day for the spirit of Satan comprehends the parent and the posterity to witnesse in and of both alike as really as the Spirit of God comprehends the father and the son to testifie of them as one undenied act Note here that the children of the Devil as Christ cals them are of him who is a Murderer from the beginning a Lyer and therefore aboad not in the truth for when he speaks a lye he speaks his own it is himself both a father and son for he is a lyer or he is a lye as the product and the father thereof as the original of the same so that wickednesse was never brought forth but by the wicked one who is from the beginning as ancient as the son of God himself Iohn 8. 44. Also the Son of God is he in whom life is preserved from the beginning and therefore an eternal life as ancient as himself and so is said to be the way the truth and the life so that no man can come to the father but by or in him Iohn 14. 6. Whosoever then finds a time when the Lier was not and the Murderer he may as well find a time when truth and life eternal was not and he that goeth about to make a separation of just and unjust and not from the first motion of God towards man which is from everlasting as also to keep each of them that is the way of life and the way of death intire in the whol course of their progresse that man can never preserve and keep the word of God in its native purity but is a false Interpreter thereof and a betrayer of the just and holy One into the hands of the wicked Note further in conclusion of this point that when Abraham is said to be the father of beleevers as the Saints being reckoned as from him Rom. 4. 11 16. Abraham is personated in that high father according to the Etymology of his name or in that eternal father as the Prophet cals him in whom he plainly concludes both father and son as one state and
teachers Phil. â— 19. For they move not but to satisfie their carnall appetite with honour wealth friendship outward peace and prosperity to be strengthned in the arm of flesh and leave plenty of such things unto their posterity Oh ye Serpents that move not but upon the cause of your belly to satisfie your corporeall body and life and when you attain to any preferment herein your religion either becomes a slavish underling or else withers quite away as the Serpent casts his withered slough or skin in the heare of Summer Yea he goes upon his belly breast or heart as the word imports that is their principal part signified by breast or heart cleaves unto the earth that is unto carnal and terrene things their mind understanding wisdom will affections and conscience yea all their learning is carnal earthly in the very prime and height thereof so that their principal aptitudes as breast or heart move not but upon the earth other creatures tread upon the earth as a thing mean and base put under their feet the Serpent moves not but layes it to his heart and bosom Oh Serpents the original of the curse of God but for false interpretation there had never been curse in the world nor wrath of God upon mankind which consists in going upon the belly or breast that is in carnalizing the word of God going upon it as upon the words of mâ—ns wisdom and principles not according to the wisdom and power of God 1 Cor. 2. 5. And in the words of mans wisdome and principles the letter of the Scriptures doth properly consist as is apparent to all that are not wilfully blind by the histories thereof proverbs parables relations offices buildings battels journeyings genealogies life and death of the Saints with the nature and operations of all Creatures in the heavens and on the earth which we see come in some sort within the confines of humane capacity which is the common doctrine of the world only adorning it as with God or making it as their God which is that which the Hebrews call Cashaph of which the Greeks have formed their word â—a caino and the Latins Fascino which is to bewitch and is the changing of the glory of the incorruptible God into thè image of a corruptible man and into birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things Rom. 1. 23. Which is nothing else but to place the glory of God to consist in conformity with the letter of the Scripture which is naturally written in every mans heart else the word of God could not expresse it selfe in all men that is in such as unto whom the spirit of God is not given also such as never had the written word of God could not lie under the breach of any known law of God and therefore their consciences could not accuse or excuse which is the portion of all men Rom. 2. 15. for doubtlesse the sound of the Scriptures is gone into all the earth and their words unto the end of the world Rom. 10. 18. 3 Thirdly the Serpent is known by his food dust shalt thou eat saith God Gen. 3. 14. to declare the basenesse of his proper sustentation to be such as all creatures decline dry dust can bring forth nothing that is good to perfection Isaia 65. 25. This is the food of all false Interpreters they carnallize and corrupt the word of God in all things for as dust is void of moisture which makes the earth fruitful so do they bereave the word of God of all that moisture and oyly intent of the Spirit or else it s no acceptable food for them to sustain the works of the slesh in terrene glory and beauty Oh Serpents that feed on nothing but basenesse by the verdict of God for to cast the word of God into a transitory form is nothing else but that unclean Spirit of the Devil which Christ here as his manner is rebukes for though there be an acknowledgement of Christ to be the Son of the most high God yet in that they professe Christ to be another thing than themselves are for they are affraid of being tormented by him therefore reckon themselves to be another thing for Christ doth not torment himselfe no man hates his own flesh Ephes 5. 19. In this they appear to have that unclean Spirit for it is and ever was the very form of the Devil so to do as really as it is the form of the Son of God to make himselfe one with the Father Iohn 10. 30. Iohn 14. 9. Therefore Christ rebukes such as unclean spirits yea that spirit of Satan as such as hath no interest in them that are his Mark 5. 7. 8. Oh Serpents who feed so basely as upon the husk the shell the barke and rinde of the word of God whereby the curse is formed and maintained in the world forsake the â—eed of immortality the kernel the sap the pith and the marrow of all things which is the scope intent and spirit of all things recorded and registred in the word and works of God 4 Fourthly the Serpent is known by his hearing for his custome is to stop his ear though the Charmer charm never so wisely Psalm 58. 5. he will not hear now we know that to charm a thing is to utter the same tune note speech or language which that uttereth which we are about to charm with an interposition or infinuation of something whereby to take with guile in the motion or coming forth of the thing as the Apostle useth the word guile in a good sense 2 Cor. 12. 16. But this Serpent in false Interpretation stops the ear let the good Charmer charm never so wisely it will not hear that is let the Son of God in tru interpretation opening of the word of God sound forth speak in the very same note tune which mans heart is known by naturally according to the history proverb parable and progresse of the word of God in way of ushering it into the heart of man or bringing forth the thoughts of mans heart to symbolize and agree therwith as it is propounded in the figure similitude metaphor allegory and dialogiums thereof yet when the truth of the thing appears which the spirit of God intends and is properly taken with against that doth the Serpent and false and subtle interpreter stop his ear even as it is said of the Serpent that he layes one ear to the ground and stops the other with his tayle wherein his life and motion properly resides for some Serpents after their head be cut off will live and move many hours which life and motion appears properly in the tayl So these false Interpreters when truth appears stop their ear in one respect with an earthly conjecture and conception of the word of God and in another respect with that lively aptitude which naturally they have to move and act in such carnal and sensuall wayes and respects which resides in the tail or in
by Iebusie who when David was made King in Hebron he and all Israel went unto Iebusie which is Ierusalem which resisted David saying Thou shale not come in hither 1 Chron. 11. 4. 2 Sam. 5. 6. So also Ierusalem is called Iebusie when the land is divided unto the sons of Israel Ioshuah 15. 8. and by that name falls in the inheritance of Benjamin in whose lot the Temple was built Ioshua 18. 28. which is a Temple destroyed into which Christ never carne and a Temple reedified wherein Christ stands and preacheth Luke 4. 16 -22 of which Moses the man of God prophecies when he saith The Lord shall cover him all the day speaking of Benjamin and between his shoulders that is in the midst of the Coasts of his Land the Lord shall abide and dwell in his Temple Deut. 33. 12. So also when that Levite who sojourned on the side of Mount Ephraim fetched home his Concubine it is said they came over against Iebus which is Ierusalem which is then said to be a City of Strangers and not of the children of Israel Iedg 19. 10. 11. 12. We conclude therefore that Ierusalem is to be understood in a diverse respect according to the mind of the Scripture and that according to a reall state and condition in both for it is to be taken in that order and constitution of blessedness and peace according to that order and place of aboad of our Melchizedeck who hath his Kingdom and Priesthood there Gen 14. 18. for Salem is Ierusalem and so the Chaldees paraphrase reads that place of the Psalmist Psalm 76. 2. Jerusalem is also to be taken as it is constituted ordered or inhabited after the manner and according to the state of the curse as it is built and inhabited by the Iebusites who are of Iebus who is of Canaan who is of Cham the cursed Gen. 10. 15. 16. Gen. â— 25. Ierusalem then in this place together with her children according to Christs true intent is to be taken in the accursed state of the Iebusites Enemies to Israel as it is constituted ordered and inhabited by her proper off-spring of false and counterfeit interpreters even as the sons of men do erect constitute order and possesse the Cities and affairs of this world namely for their glory benefit safety and peace by advancing all honourable thing according to mans account in the disparadgement debasing and abandoning all things of shame discommodity and danger so far as mans wisdome in their constitution can find out with the exercising and executing their laws and edicts accordingly Even so this City and Temple of these accursed Iebusites it erects and possesseth it it self by the advancing and promoting of all things acceptable in the eyes of mans wisdom with contempt and despising of all things which might impair or any way abate the glory and lustre thereof which cannot be maintained but by debasing and despising the Spirit of God whose propertie is to blast and to wither as grasse and as the flower of the field all things set up and consisting in whatsoever that perisheth in the use thereof as all humane institutions do if ever the spirit of the Lord breath upon them they wither and come to nought where such things then are the things chiefly maintained we may safely say that the Spirit of the Lord never breathed there Isaiah 40. 6. which are the only things that false Interpreters promote and erect amongst men in the world It is not without cause therefore that Christ ingeminates upon this word Jerusalem Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem most emphatically declaring thereby that false Interpretation is cruell and accursed both in the Mother and in the Children in the Root and in all the Branches these are accursed in their Fathers who murthered the spirit of the Prophets and their Fathers are accursed in them that do the same things that spirit which is the originall and ground of their interpretation is accursed and cruell and all the fruits that flow therefrom are cruelty and accursed Oh Ierusalem yee carnally constituted and moment any Churches Oh Jerusalem yee carnally instructed Members made great of flesh Ezek. 16. 26. Ezek. 23. 19. 20. Oh Jerusalem the Mother of false Interpreters as she is in bondage with her children by the works of the Law and in all things ingendreth thereunto Now the erecting of the curse in this City is the same with the setting of it up in Canaan the son of Cham and father of Jebus Noah having planted a Vineyard after the Flood which had swept away all Cains posterity from the face of the Earth as such as have not a being in order to the new Heavens and the new Earth wherein dwels righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3. 13. yet is the curse conserved in the Ark in that spirit of the unclean Raven as well as the blessing is in that spirit of the Dove for the work of God as well as the word of God hath its operation in way of death as well as in the way of life 2 Cor. 2. 15. 16. for death springs up and revives through the resurrection of Christ in the wicked as really as life springs up and revives through his death in the godly and yet there is no savour of life in the wicked nor any savour of death in the just and this conservation of Cham in the Ark who is of Noah and so of Enoch in the destruction of all Cains posterity in the Flood is to declare that neither the blessing nor the curse is tyed or entailed to any naturall and carnall generation according to mans judgement but God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth Rom. 9. 10-18 But it is said that Noah drinks of the fruit of the Vine unto drunkennesse Gen. 9. 20. 21. we know that the spirit of God alludes there unto naturall drunkennesse in the stupifying of the senses through excesse of strong drink and deny not but that holy man might take liberally of the very fruit of a naturall Vine to the obstruction of the use of naturall reason as it is in the time of sleep but we affirm that God teacheth a higher thing hereby which is Gods proper intent as the Apostle affirms concerning the care of God in not mussing the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Corn 1 Cor. 9. 9. 10. God therein takes care for men and not for beasts according to the true scope and intent So God in Noah teacheth what the death of Christ is personated in Noah and not what taking away of mans naturall sense is by strong drink which is common to a beast as well as man so that as out of a deep sleep in Adam a woman is brought forth that is not only the way of mans propagation and preservation on the Earth but also one who through deceit brings in the fall and death so out of this drunkennesse and sleep of Noah there is not only the blessing of Shem and
are spiritual and heavenly I interrogated in the sequel of the Chapter wherein are involved so many effectual and undeniable arguments affirmations and conclusions which are without all gainsayings of any false apostleship or ministry Vers 4 Have not we power to eat and to drink that is have not we who preach the gospel and go upon Gods message and errant sufficient authority liberty and licence to communicate and participate in temporary terrene things for the comfort and sustentation of our bodies being that the earth is the Lords and the fulness of it the world and all that fit therein the interrogation is in the way of a strong affirmation that we have authority and power from God for that purpose Vers 5. Have we not power to lead about a wife that is a sister or women that are sisters that is shall not we enjoy the benefit of humane society for our comfort in companionship in our journeys if they be such as communicates in the faith with us shall any debar them from like authority with us to participate in things common to all creatures and apertaining to this present life doth not God deny us the greater as to be of the faith of Jesus and shall he deny us the less namely the things of this life hath he given us his Son and shall he not in him give us all things Have not we like priviledge as other apostles the brother of our Lord and Cephas who are ministers of the circumcision even brethren of the Lord or such as are kindred of alliance in that brotherhood Lordship proper to the Son of God who is made heir and inheriter of all things doth not our faith and apostleship in that spirituall and miraculous sight of our Lord invest us into his authority rather then any carnall society or naturall alliance as might be considered in James and John and also in Peter that companion of Christ in point of corporeal presence who is here called Cephas which signifies a stone or rock of whom it is said in point of that mutuall confession between Christ and himself that upon that Rock the Church is built namely of the Lord and disciples being one in the foundation and in the top or head stone also against which no power of hell can prevail it is therefore alliance in faith which gives true Lordship and authority in the use of all things and not any naturall distinction humane Relation or companionship whatsoever shall not such therefore have liberty and authority wherever they come to partake in terrene transient things seeing that the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof that is shall not the state of a Christian be a sufficient testimony that all things shall be in motion to contribute to his conservation in the glory of God whereever he comes without any foreseen tender of the creature certainty of stipend or contribution nor any provision made before Elijah sits down under the Juniper treee if all things were not in motion to preserve that Sonship by faith God should fail of his end for otherwise he had never existed Vers 6. Or I and Barnabas have not we power not to work as if he should say I Paul who am rest and quietness from that spirit of breathing out slaughter against the Saints of God which remains in the carnal Jew or turbulent spirit of Sauls and am ready to give rest where I come and Barnabas joyned with me that Son or seed of consolation from whom springs and grows up comfort unto the Saints in every place where we come and the Son of peace appears have not we liberty and authority to refrain and forbear to labour or to trouble our selves with any other employment but what is of this nature or conduceth thereunto nay the power and authority of the Gospel stands in doing or not to do the same thing in point of bodily exercises according as the hand of God is pleased to present the same unto us Vers 7. Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof or who feedeth a fl â—k and eateth not of the milk of the flock Vers 8. Say I these things as a man or saith not the law the same also that is I speak not these things as as bounding them within the confines of humane wisdome as man hath respect to eating drinking marrying and giving in marriage bodily labour rest or any such things for therein the law of God doth not consist for there is no proper law of God composed between man and any of the Creatures inferior unto man because the Spirit of God gives the relation of the law of God in all parts and it is not a law but as considered relatively but no creature did ever partake of that Spirit of God but that only which was made in the Image of God namely Man and therefore they are all put under his feet he being Lord over them all and not tied or bound unto any of them but the spirit of God gives the relation of the law of God in all respects as it stands between God and man whether as it comes down from God or goeth up unto God else no proper law of God and of Christ The law of God therefore consists of relation between God and man in all things that are proper thereunto else the law of God would suffer loss in the Saints when they cease to converse with these terrene things but one jot or title of the law shall never fail for it is the Spirit of Christ the Son of eternity which only fulfils the law in every respect and relation He therefore what ever he be that concludes the freedome liberty power authority peace or plenty of the gospel to consist in transitory eating drinking marrying giving in marriage in any bodily labour or cessation and rest in tithes stipends contributions or uppermost seats in the assemblies and synagogues that man propounds a carnal gospel to the world which is not another gospel but it is the gospel perverted ond carnallized wherein salvation did never consist but onely the state of the Curse although it may be brought in as by an angel from heaven in point of humane wisdom and Eloquence according to the judgement of humane reason viewing it For such fruits as we look to receive as the proper priviledges and crop of the gospel snch seed we sow and of such nature is the gospel which we preach if we expect any earthly and carnal priviledge as a fruit wherein the authority or the reward of glad tidings doth consist then do we preach from an earthly and carnal root and principle the very state of death and not that state of life which is by Jesus Christ Which is proved as also illustrated by this threefold interrogation First doth any man go to war at his own cost vers 7. It is taken for granted that he doth not
doubt that is without all controversie it is the Saints of God who under the term or name of oxen labouring are here meant the same spirit who speaks it doth faithfully expound it Whence we are taught that there is not any thing whatsoever taken up or aluded unto the Scriptures or Writings of the word of God in the expression of the will or works of God that is or can be of any profitable or right use unto the sons of men until it be brought unto and terminated in the Man of God that is to say in Christ Jesus either as he is crucified or risen it is not oxen the Scripture Intends it is only or altogether us and the same may be as trnly said in any other things wherein the Scripture expresseth it self in heaven or in earth brought forth in the creation generation art or by putrifaction And for all other skill or learning if I had all knowledge could speak with the tongues of men and angels if I had the gift of prophesie and understood all misteries and though I had all faith so as to remove mountains and though I gave all my goods to the poor and my body to be burned all is nothing without this manner of knowledge for it is as true in this point as it is in the point of love and in the former Chapter where our Apostle sets in opposition the true knowledge of the word and that which is proper to an Idolathite he transforms the true knowledge into love saying that Idolatrous knowledge puffs up but love saith he meaning true knowledge edifies so that true knowledge edifies not but in love or knows not but in love and love knows not it self but in that which is beloved prostrating it self unto the service thereof contrary to Idolatrous knowledge that puffeth up And if I have not this art in my knowledge to bring all things unto and terminate them in the man of God I am but as a founding brass which gives no true distinctâ—on to a musicall ear or a tinkling and untuned symbal yea as a thing of nought a meer vanity It is for our sakes no doubt it is written or it is translated that is out of the Original copies composed and recorded unto our glory forever for it is not the voice of the Creatour simply and alone considered but of a creature also else the record is not full neither is it the voice of a man simply considered but the of the Son of God otherwise the writing is not perfect and they who have this voice shall live and whosoever shall read this writing is blessed Now the end why a true minister of the gospel lives only upon that which he dispenceth is that he that ploweth may plow in hope that is whosoever tilleth manureth or stirreth the ground to the subduing of its natural and earthly properties may till it in hope namely in undoubted trust and confidence that the seed of immortality shall take places and spring up therein unto an abundant multiplication and increase because in his labour he knows both the nature of that which is subdued as also that which reviveth and springeth up because his strength whereby he conquours is exercised in the one and his joy in which he triumpheth consists in the other wherein there is rest and feastivity through spoils sufficient for a souldier of Christ to live upon and true planter or feeder of a flock to be fully satisfied with without seeking after other mens temporary things And he that thresheth in hope may be partake of his hope that is he that beats out the seed of life by the skilful labour of love in the right handling of the word of God unto the proper multiplication thereof according to that infinit and profound rooting of it in that unmeasureable humilliation of the Son of God and assured hope of a true and skilful seeds man which hope is a present demonstration and possession of things which also are not yet seen but to come because of the eternity of them which expectation cannot have less then an infinite increase for the object of it because the seed hath an infinit and eternal life and virtue in it and therefore it brings forth in some thirty fold in some sixty fold and in some an hundred fold which is not to be taken gradually as in some more and some less and therefore the spirit of God inverts the order for Luke begins with thirty fold and ends with an hundred fold but Matthew begins with an hundred fold and ends with thirty fold to declare that it is not a divers increase as applied to divers persons but they are all found in the same subsistance three times ten is the fulness and perfection of increase which is only found in the seed of God without any defect three times twenty is the duplication of thirty which is a twofold perfection that is of perfection of life in the seed and a perfection of death unto all things which might tend to the annoyance of the growth and increase thereof and a hundred fold in Scripture Language is innumerable which can never be counted nor told over to find an end of the sum of the increase which threshing in the hope of such increase and fulness of measure pressed down and running over in being made partaker of it is a plenary plentiful and sufficient maintainance for every man of God without any looking for of other manner of means as being any liberty authority or priviledge properly appertaining or belonging to the preaching of the gospel Vers 11. If we have sown unto you spirituall things a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things as if he should say if we have distributed and laid out upon you spiritual durable and eternal things is there any proportion of recompence found in any thing that is carnal whatsoever in the return which fade perish and pass away in the use of them and doth not equity and justice require that whatsoever is given out in point of exchange that which is received any way as in lieu thereof shall hold correspondency in weight worth and valluation therewith else the law of the relation of the contract is broken which the order of the kingdome of God admits not of and therefore no carnal or temporary thing returned whatsoever can answer the end of Gods law in this point for the distribution and publication of those spiritual and eternal things of the gospel unto the sons of men But such things being required for the preaching of the gospel as things to answer the labour thereof as a priviledge belonging thereunto is a real and Sufficient testimony and witness that such men have onely an earthly and carnal ministry which the spirit of God hath branded for a false apostleship Vers 12. If others be partakers of this power over you not we rather that is if such as are false apostles have this authority over you or interest in you
in all particulars Yet I have made my self a servant to all or as the word is a minister in all that is I serve and minister in or usher in the word of God by means of all things in heaven and in earth being such things which the mind of man can give some form unto whereby the word of God hath made it self speakable unto all the sons of men which is the proper end of all Gods works that the word of blessing and also of the curse may take place and be eternized which otherwise could not be for the manner of being forms relations and operations of all the creatures are so many dishes chargers or platters wherein that food and bread of life substantiated only in Christ is presented unto mankind to feed upon for there is nothing in all the works of God wherein the food of eternal life is not commended unto the world as being that figure or letter of the Scripture that great volume or common Library standing fast in all ages and as free to be read by the poor as the rich the meanest as the greatest Potentates in the world Therefore it is said go and preach the gospel to every creature or as the word is in every creature that is present Christ Jesus unto the world as in a figure by all things contained therein But the men of the world like unnatural canibals or men-eaters or as the Ostrich of whom it is said she can digest Iron falls upon feeding of themselves with the dish or platter in which the food is brought which is to pass away as nothing of that meat fit for the son of man to feed on in the very representation thereof and in so doing they suffer the bread of life to pass from them as a thing of nought worth And that wherein the reality of the word of God is only signified unto us as in a figure is that great engine which Satan hath ever erected as that tree good for food pleasant to the eyes and to be desired to make one wise whereby he hath alwayes insnared the men of the world and fastned the word of the curse upon them namely the things wherein the word of life expresseth it self unto mankind without which it were not speakable to man no more then it is now unto a brute beast Now the end why I thus serve or minister in all things that visibly appears is this namely that I may gain the more or that I may gain all that is win them by conquest or subdue all things as subservant and put under the feet of Jesus Christ as all things were concluded to be at the first as such things which are no part of the kingdome of God no more then there could be a helper fit for man found amongst them all in the beginning when the nature and use of them all was seen in giuing names unto them accordingly these are all to be gained as by conquest subdued and brought under the feet of the Son of God as subservant unto him and that in the very act of serving or ministring in them as nothing of that kingdome which is not of this world that the truth and reality of all things intimated thereby may appear to be realized substantiated and eternized only in Jesus Christ that son of the living God who is the fulness of him that filleth all in all or is filled all in all for the word is both of active and passive signification to shew unto us that in the Son of God there is both an aptitude to fill and to be filled which is that grand grace of the gospel in all things and at all times in all ages Vers 20. To the Jews I became a Jew that is that is to such as stand strictly upon pedigree family the distinction of tribes churches or congregations of people Sects and Seminaries to keep intire peculiar and certain the genealogy of Christ so as they may approve of him in his appearance to be such a one as to whom the promise is annexed to such I desire no better ground to work upon or means of conveyance of my doctrine for their conviction whereby to gain by conquest and subdue under the feet of Christ all such distinctions anities relations and historical seed platts of production and from these humane and Jewish principles to make good and maintain that all such conjunctions and propagations in whatsoever they appear to be holy and acceptable before God do only consist in Christ Jesus the son of God so as they shall never end nor alter in whom only they are real and in all other respects whatsoever they are empty and vain for there is no true genealogy of Christ ever to be found according to the real intent of the Spirit of God in the Scriptures where the parties contracted to bring forth and the product or seed are not of the same plurality and singularity the one as the other yea and of the same distance with respect to the tribes or family and of the same unity and nearness of blood for neither in the conjunction of stock nor yet in the simplicity of the product is there any unity of creature and creature to be considered otherwise then only in way of metaphorical allusion and in point of doctrinal respects only the unity and conjuction of the Creatour and the creature is the matter and form of them both in all true and substantial respects and intents of the word of God in the intended consistance without which all are empty void and vain Therefore the true stock and family tribe and kindred genealogy and off-spring of the Son of God is as strictly and precizely to be kept maintained unto this day as it was to the dayes of the Virgin Mary to make manifest and confirm the promised seed without which we cannot possibly know who is the true inheriter of the promises and so are void of the faith of God which continued act of genealogy confounds and bring to nought all literal and traditional genealogies of the carnal Jew confirming the truth to be in Jesus and not elsewhere from the beginning unto this day Which true Sonship and off spring only can still utter this voice unto the vain conceits of a carnal Jew so as to confound them namely that although it be true that I am the Son of David yet it is as true that be one David was I am and therefore David in spirit calls him Lord which argument rightly proposed by Christ as reasly present is of force to stop the mouths of all Jewish pharisaical scribes and elders again though he be the seed of Abraham yet can he as truly say before Abraham was I am and therefore it is that Abraham payes tithes unto Melchisedec and is blessed of of him and without all contradiction the less is blessed of the greater and yet this ouâ— Melchisedec is Abrahams seed in which respect Abraham being his Ancestour is considerable
them and set them infinitely above them once and for ever making them Lords over them all and not as slaves to any of them even as it is said that the Son of man is Lord of the subbath which goes beyond all pharisaical conceptions therefore they bow and kneel unto it as to aged of the continuation of foure and twenty hours Vers 21. To them that are without law as without law that is to such as have a spirit of such liberty as that they can give themselves leave to do any thing never having respect to any order or strictness of conversation to be injoyned by the word of God but stand aloof and a distance from all ties and ingagements thereby like the profane Gentiles with respect unto the strictness of the Jew To such persons I preach and profess as great liberty and more then they can possibly do as being free from all law bonds and ingagements whatsoever as not being under an absolute command or prohibition to do or forbear any earthly or transitory thing and in opening of this my freedome and authority I must of necessity declare how and upon what grounds I injoy and am possessed of this liberty and that is only in becoming one with him who is Lord of all things So that I acknowledge no bond but what is only found in him who is both the giver and also the receiver of the law or else I preach not Christ only but bring in some superfluous thing to joyn with him which sacrifice so brought is an abomination unto the Lord. But in him alone there is fulness of freedome and liberty and out of that freedome there is no true ingagement according to the law and will of God neither ever was nor shall be and hereby I bring in all true and lawful relations according to the mind and intent of God in all his expressions from things transitory to consist and to be only in Christ And therefore I bring by this means that spirit of extravagancy and licentious liberty to yield it self over and become subject unto that bond of the Spirit which is in Christ Jesus wherein all true freedome and authority doth consist in all such as are appointed unto life And this is done by preaching liberty from all carnal and earthly ties as not being under any law or absolute ingagement unto any of them all further then expedience and present oportunity calls for in the prosecution of the work of God whereby we bring the whole law of God in all points to stand in its true relation between God and man all other things being inferiour and infinitely to low to answer in point of relation in the spirit and state of a Christian so as to bear a part in the fulfilment of that Royall law of God which is only fulfilled in us namely God and man in the unity of faith and so in every Christian and in no other relation whatsoever no more then man could find a meet help for the production of his kind in all the creatures in the beginning but must have one as taken out of himself that so she might be flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone not only having his nature but bearing his name and authority aso as Ish and Isha only distinct with respect to Sex as it is in Christ in point of Creatour and creature So that by preaching freedome and liberty from all law in point of relation to things which fade and come to nought I bring to nought and abrogate that law or spirit of bondage and also gain unto my self that eternal law and ingagement of faith to consist only and wholly in the Son of God and therefore he inserts When I am not without law to God Intimating thereby that the true property or form of the law is only to face unto God and not unto any creature no not among the Saints themselves for the Spirit of God in each other as it is the Spirit of Jesus is the proper object of the bond of relation so that wheresoever a meer creature is made a relative in the law of God it is the adulterating of the word of God by that spirit of an harlot and of fornications as also an Idolizing of the creature setting it in the place of or bringing it in competition with the Lord for the Spirit or life of Christ though a man yet was never destitute of the Image wisdome and spirit of God so that God had never respect unto mankind as in unity and order of his law but with respect to that wisdome and Image of his own and not of a meer creature simply considered Therefore he adds But in the law of Christ or but under the law or within the law of Christ that is I am in or under that law of the Spirit as within the bounds and confines of it in all things namely that law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus our Lord out of whose mystical body or spiritual incorporation there is not any pieces or part no not a word or syllable of the proper law and will of God in any of the relations or operations proper thereunto for if any momentany thing or temporary office or relation should be that whereof any part of the law of God doth consist then would the law of God suffer loss and detriment when we part from all temporary relations and things And we may as well affirm that the almighty suffers loss of his Royal will and of his being that which he is in Christ as to affirm the least diminution of the law in any respect or at any time for one jot or tittle thereof shall never fail nor pass away no though heaven and earth should pass away yet the law of God shall never fail Vers 22. To the weak I become as weak that is to them who are destitute of the power of godliness in the exercise of these virtues and offices peculiar to Christ to such I became as weak that is I preach my self and all flesh to be utterly insufficient and altogether disabled to move towards God by any strength of the creature in any way of acceptation with him that is to say by means of any humane power or wisdome art or abilitie whatsoever and this universal insufficiency of all flesh where it is truly seen and rightly acknowledged I preach to be the only capacity of the reception of the Spirit of God wherein and through which it comes to move upon the mind of man as it is said to move upon the face of the deep in the beginning which insufficiency of the creature void of the excellencies and abillities of the Creatour naturely nor seen nor rightly and groundedly acknowledged is nothing else but that mysterie of iniquity the depths of Satan and the devil that great deceiver of mankind who is the proper fulness thereof therefore he is called the prince of the power of the aire because every vessel
not having in it real and substantial things or matter wherewith to fill it there the aire takes place and is the fulness of it even so whereever and in what heart the real and substantial things of the Son of God are not there doth the devil take place and is the fulness of that heart whatever it be in the judgement of men So that the true acknowledgement of weakness I am one with as it is the only capacity of the fulness of the spirit of God in the exercise of its virtues and manifestation of the power of God and not of man And by this I gain weakness in the true acknowledgement thereof to consist only in Christ the alsufficient strength of God and is not elsewhere to be found where all insufficiency must of necessity flie away and there only is all true and proper motion in way of holyness and honour whereby the power and glory of God and not of the creature comes to move upon mankind and manifest it self in all his virtues and excellencies whatsoever and by this means of becoming weak I gain all weakness or weakness to become that alsufficiency and strength of the Son of God who is able to subdue all things unto himself this weakness being the proper receptacle and place of the abode and hiding of his power So as none but himself can find out how to communicate or participate therein where only he is known in all his particular virtues goodness and love in the exercise and injoyment thereof forever I am made all things in all men or thus I am made all men in all things that is there is not any thing wherein the mind of man naturally moves with respect to God or with respect to any of the works of God or wherein any of the creatures are in motion towards mankind or among themselves but I make my self a companion therewith or a suting thereunto in point of all operations relations and respects and that to this end that by opening and disclosing of my self what I am in any such operation relation or respect in point of the reality substantiality and continuation thereof in the truth and verity of the thing as countable and of worth in the records of God I may thereby disanul and abolish and bring to nought as things of no truth and of no virtue in whatsoever the natural heart of man moves towards God and the creature and also in whatsoever man naturally contains or receives from the motions of God or the creatures towards himself and make good that all such things come within the confines of that law of the carnal commandement consisting in ordinances which are against us and therefore are nailed unto the cross of Christ and forever made sure and intailed only to that carnal and fleshly spirit of the Jew which ever crucifies the Lord of glory according to the Spirit putting him to open shame or making a mock of him and therefore in the disanulling and abrogating of all these carnal things nailed unto the cross of Christ I make it plain and manifestly to appear that the solid truth and reality of all things consist and have their proper and only being in Christ and out of whom all things are vain and empty only filled with that spirit of cruelty and persecuting Jew And by this means I strip the world lay it waste and make it vacant of all things whatsoever that turn to any account or reckoning in the records of God or that is found written in that book of life wherein all living and acceptable things are written and the rest are such as are written in the earth So that the world hath nothing left to take hold of for any stay or support in which can be any hope or confidence to trust unto for there is nothing to be found of such nature or quality that is not involved within that proper state and real condition of Jesus Christ the Son of the blessed That I may by all means save some that is that I may by the true controverting of all things make it apparent and plain that salvation doth consist in every thing according to that which Gods wisdome hath ordered and appointed all things to be and appear in Christ either as he is given as a ransome and so as lost or given up unto death in all things that are holy and spiritual in the men of the world in whom nothing of his divine and proper virtue doth appear or is in being and exercised in which estate the reality of all things appertaining to death are for ever in their heighth of operation Or else as he is the ransomed from death in his chosen and elect ones in whom all things of life righteousness and peace are in their proper being virtue and exercise thereof and so in Christ as dead or alive are all real things of death and life only found and thus by becoming all things I save some or as the word imports I save all that is as all things universally became death and destruction as Satan orders them in putting Christ to death in all spiritual respects Even so all things universally become resurrection and life as the wisdome of God orders them in the mortification and death of all carnal and sensual things in Christ whereby the life of God is revived in the son of man in all spiritual and eternal respects and thus all things are destroyed and brought to nought by Satan or by man in his defection from God which is a universal fall of mankind from his Creatour forever And it is as true that all things universally are saved and confirmed in a state of excellency and perfection by the resurrection and ascention of the Son of man through that wisdome of God into the life and reign of and in all things that are proper to God eternally And observe that this death unto all spiritual things proper to the infinite and eternal Son of God must needs be of universal comprehension and being alive unto all the things proper to the same Son of God must needs be of the same universal extent yet it is impossible that these twain should reside in one and the same individual substance and being and therefore a universal estate of death and also a universal estate and condition of life is found in the sons of men of one and the same extent because it is of the Son of God in way of his death and of his life that gives latitude and longitude to them both and therefore a two fold state and condition standing in due opposition is found in mankind and shall be forever Vers 23. And this I do for the gospels sake that is that I may give all honour and estimation unto the gospel or unto the Son of God so that whatsoever hath in it any worth or dignity utility or excellency it is only substantiated and eternized in the subject matter of the gospel and not elsewhere to
the hearts of all men so as they may read it in themselves and therefore I obtrude the knowledge thereof upon you without all peradventure namely that they who run in a race run all that is divers are in motion therein as striving after the same thing even so God hath ranked the creatures universally in heaven and in earth that they are in a continued motion through Gods ordination as things pointing at looking towards or directing unto Christ as so many rivers in motion towards the same Gole or more particularly All men that ever lived do or shall upon the face of the earth they aim at and move after that which is more excellent then themselves or any simple creature can ever be and so are in continual exercise and motion to gain a price which hath no less then God considerable therein and hence it was that wicked Pharaoh though he would not acknowledge the God of the Hebrews yet he moved as in a race after a greater thing or power then was in himself and therefore fled to his Magicians as such as had a more eminent power to work by then himself had and when they could ease him of the plagues he seeks to Moses that he would me unto the God of Israel on his behalf so that he is in motion after a prize of more worth then all his present attainments So it was with the king of Babylon he also was set in this race moving toward a greater price when he could not interpret his own dreams he sought to the Southsayers the Chaldeans as having more skill then himself to interpret the same and when they could not attain thereunto they also move towards higher then themselves and told the king that none could expound or interpret such a matter unless the gods should come down and converse in flesh or with flesh so that all men yea the worst of men are in a race wherein they strive after a gole of more worth and greater excellency then yet they have attained and there is no true excellency upon just account to be found but only in the Son of God Jesus Christ and as in a race all men are striving to attain nnto that state of Christ but all cannot win the gole it is one only that gets the prize Note by the way the ignorance and vanity of such men that go about to bring men unto the knowledge of God by telling them stories out of the Scripture not analizing them with something written in their own hearts that by that living letter they may so converse with them as they cannot deny the truth of what is said to be in themselves and by the verity of that be gained to give credit unto the truth of the manner and form of the being and exercise of the Son of God brought forth and declared from that which is formed and written in their hearts for every one in this point of running shall be set in the race indeavouring to win a prize greater then yet they have attained from whence we are to declare who and what it is that only gets the gole for they who run in a race run all But one receiveth the prize that is to say Christ that one Son of God that mystical body in the unity of spirit that one whose feet are made like hinds feet and who is called the hind of the morning he that renews his strength as the eagle who runs and is not weary and walks and is not faint he only attaineth the gole winneth the prize and weareth the crown and he that is not of that one undivided being and imbodied in that one faith once delivered unto the Saints that man shall never attain the gole nor obtain the prize for it is only one that receiveth the same for it is but one wisdome which know the way and rightly valueth the prize it is but one strength which inableth to outstrip and over go all the rest and it is but one breath or wind of the spirit that can possibly hold out from the first unto the last that is from the first goings forth of the Son of God in the early morning or glory of his first appearance unto that late evening or setting of the Sun of all humane excellencies as the last or basest things with respect unto the glory and dignity of the Son of God it is only one therefore that receiveth the prize from which he inforceth this exhortation viz. So run that ye may obtain that is cast aside all carnal seeming excellencies every thing which presseth down as a weight to binder in the race and sin that hangeth so fast on even as the flesh cleaveth unto the bones which we are as unwilling to part with as from our natural life and run with all patience that is in the suffering of the loss of all transient things that you may accomplish and perform with great advantage the race that is set before you Again so run that you may obtain that is so gather up attract and bring all your abillities into one that none can go before you in point of true wisdome to Judge and discern bring only into one so also all true marrow and oyly substance to supple and supply the joints bring it all into one with all agillity power and abillity to continue and persevere state it all in one together with all ease of spirit in breathing livelyhood and courage bring them all into one individual subsistance and being of that mystical body of Christ in which you consist and out of which you consist and out of which you never were are nor shall be and so run as that only one who is indued with able power sufficient to take the gole from all that are not of him and he only to recieve the prize notwithstanding all other runners whatsoever if you cannot by that one spirit reckon and account your selves as that only one and not another you can never attain the gole nor receive the prize but shall fall infinitely short and that with shame and reproach perpetual Vers 25. And every man striveth for the mastery that is you well know that there is no man that playeth a prize or fighteth a combate but he gathereth up all his skill useth the utmost of his abillities taketh his best advantage both for offence and defence neglecting nothing that he may attain his end and therefore abstaineth from all things that might obstruct his strength impair his skill or abate his courage wife child nor friend inticeth his heart to draw it aside or divert it from the present act he leads not himself then with thick clay neither incumbers himself with the cares of this life no wanton dallience then takes place nor doth any sloth seize upon him to hinder his watch for his best oportunity and advantage nor is his life precious unto him in case the conquest be but gotten for other glory oâ— renown he expecteth not These things we
is a wicked and disallowed ministry rejected and reprobated by God and doth in his heart conclude that the righteousness of Christ is one thing to one Saint and another thing in another Saint that it is of one virtue in one age of the world and of another virtue more or less or some alteration in another age this is reprobate doctrine rejected and reproved by God For our Apostle saith I beat down my body not the body of another So that they who seem to beat down sin in another and know not how to make it their own as it being naturally in that body whereof they by nature are such are in this ministry of reprobation therefore all such as go about to cry down a sin which was committed in a body destitute of humane nature that is the sin of angels before man was or at the least before man sinned these beat down sin in another not in their own body a sin say they which man was never guilty of nor subject unto for say they man sinned by means of a tempter but the evil angels the devils they sinned without a tempter these men preach in another not in themselves and these our Apostle by transferring the thing to himself concludes by the Spirit of God that it is a reprobate and rejected ministry disallowed of God in all good men throughout all ages They therefore that preach a sin without that body whereof man by nature is which are all those which preach the fall of angels not to be the proper fall of man and the sin of the devil in its first act not to be the proper sin of man as well as of Satan all these are reprobate ministers and this their ministry is reproved rejected and disallowed of God Again they who preach a righteousness a wisdome a sanctification or redemption that is in another but not in themselves or that which is not in all the Saints of God as really as they in it or as really in all as in any one these preach in another but not in themselves they build up or seem to do another not their own these are reprobate ministers such as are rejected and disallowed of God And wherewithall shall these men come before the Lord and bow themselves before the high God shall they come before him with burnt-offerings with calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl shall they give their first-born for their transgression or the fruit of their body for the sin of their soul But thou O man of God who art known of him he shall shew unto thee what is good yea what that good thing is which is only acceptable unto him and what doth he require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to abase thy self in point of all humane excellencies that so thou may walk in the power and glory of thy God Amen S. G. The Preface THe piece presented according to the nature of it is as a judge of assize riding his circuit who being set on the seat of judgement is as a man ignorant of all causes apertaining to that place where he is so set as also impartial with respect to any mans person for he knows no man But when the cause is produced the parties brought in and examined with observation of their countenance carriage and demeanure together with manner of speech and all circumstances The witnesses standing up being such as are free from the act as also from passing of sentence and yet have really communicated in the act by eye or ear or some of the sences in way of approbation or dislike The voluntary declaring their testimony without any extraction obstruction interruption or mollestation and it recorded The case opened declared and made manifest The records of the law read seriously considered and skilfully interpreted The Auditours satisfied in the conviction of the guilty and clearing of the innocent And the spirit of the judge animated through sound and indubicable knowledge of the matter and conscience of his office freely determineth in case of right and wrong passeth sentence of absolution or condemnation without either fear or flattery and such manner of progress expect in this presented and so I adventure it to publick view as a thing impartiall having sufficient in it self for its own defence S. G. Matth. the 23. 29. Wo unto you scribes and pharises hypocrites c. THis is the seventh wo denounced by Christ in this chapter against scribes and pharises being hypocrites and once being blind guides to lay open the fearfnl estate and condition of such as oppose Christ Jesus in his doctrine and seek by all means to insnare and intangle him therein to make him appear unto men as a guilty person that so all men might contemn and dispise his sayings as is plentifully declared in the former chapter which is not to be limited or confined to any particular time or age of the world as excluding others nor to any particular rank or calling of men as belonging to them and not to others But is to be taken according to the true etymology of the phrases which are here expressed The word scribe signifies an expounder of the law and so the Evangelist Luke hath it saying wo be to you expounders of the law that is ye reporters of or bringers in the original and first foundation of the law and records of the kingdome The word pharise signifies one who curiously divides makes distinctions in the interpretation or prophesie foretelling what will insue and come to pass upon the principles and foundations premised which are never separated and therefore Luke concludes them in one Luke 11. 52. saying Wo be to you lawyers or wo be to you interpreters of the law The word hypocrite or dissembler is therefore added to declare that they give a false exposition and interpretation of the law of God both in the ground and original of things as also in all the success and prosecutions thereof otherwise the words scribes and pharises might be taken in a good sense 1. The word hypocrite properly signifies a stage-player which sort of men we know are counterfeits in divers respects first they counterfeit the persons of men representing godly or noble men when they are of no such disposition nor degree so do false interpreters represent the person of Christ yet cannot but confess he is as far remote as heaven is from earth 2. The stage-players counterfeit the records and histories of a kingdome as though they were now in their wise and grave agitation and solemnization when as they cannot but confess there is nothing but a bare resemblance of them and so do false interpreters they treat of the records and histories of the Scripture when as they confess they were in act long ago and are not now in present and real existance 3. The stage-players counterfeit time pretending the season of Gods providence
reallity of goodness in it and that was never found but only in that device and workmanship of Christ who is the ingraven form of Gods subsistauce and that which gives being to all things without whom they are not never were nor shall be For the wisdome of God is the original and fountain of all things as maker and former of them all but the wisdome of God doth properly consist in that device of the creature and creatour being made one in Christ without which Gods wisdome could never appear for he cannot be known but by his own light Psalme 36 9. ther efore the unity of God and man in that faith of Christ is the proper original fountain and cause of all things and hath all things in it wherein the reallity of goodness doth consist and all other things are but as the hand upon the dyal which points at time which it self is not so do all other things in heaven and earth point at an eternal state and condition which not any nor all of themselves either are or ever shall be So that he that brings out an original goodness or righteousness in angel or man and not out of this fountain of God and man being one in Christ he is a false interpreter of the word of God and the doctrine of such is that which is and ever was the proper inlet of sin and wrath upon the sons of Adam for being they raise righteousness and goodness from a false fountain they bring in the devils to be the state of Christ as all Idolaters have ever don from the beginning and such is the falshood of the fountain out of which their doctrine springs and therefore it is that the consultations of the serpent who is said to be wiser then any beast which the Lord God made proves the very devil and Satan Revel 20 2. himself Secondly false interpreters terminate the word of God in a false and counterfeit center in that they carry the intent and scope thereof to other things besides Christ that is God and man in unity such are they who center the word of God in good angels which they confess are not in this unity also in man in his first creation which they exclude from this unity of such mistake is the centring of the word of God as being the intent thereof in offices and ordinances called divine and civil which have not the nature and also the duration of this unity in them for Christ is the first and the last the beginning and the end the proper rise and termination of all things therefore he is said to be the Lord our Lawgiver and also the end of the law Revel 22. 13 Isaiah 33. 22. Roman 10. 4. Therefore it is no law of God in what relation soever considered that terminates or ends in any thing short of or besides Christ yet do we not deny the lawful use of any humane ordinances no more then we deny the ordinance of the Sun and of the moon So they be used as becomes the nature of them in their time and season which are all found to be in the judgement of God no better then empty husks such as the prodigal fed upon being destitute of this unity which is in Christ Luke 15. 16 17. so that further then they direct us unto Christ they are no bread becoming our fathers house and so will appear when ever we come to our selves by getting out of that way of prodigallity but if we terminate the law of God in them they all become Idolatrous which have proved the snares and Idols of the world unto this day whilst counterfeit and hypocritical interpreters present wood and stone and foolish pictures unto us that we may bend oll our zeal only against such trash that in the mean time Satan and his ministers may raign as angels of light 2 Cor. 11. 13 14 15. And thus much briefly for present in the describing of a false interpreter of the word of God Now that we may the better understand their just desert of so many woes pronounced against them in this chapter let us take a short sum and view of the particular ground and cause of the pronunciation of every wo as they lie in order before we come to this which we have read The ground of the first wo is laid down in the 13. verse and contains three things 1. First that they shut up the kingdome of heaven against men 2. That they will not enter thereinto themselves 3. That they will not suffer them that are entring 1. They shut up the kingdome of heaven against men that is you draw a vale over the holy and eternal things of the Son of God by terminating the word of God in temporary and terrene things that is when men so expound the law of God as to make things which indure not for ever to be the intent and purpose of the word of God as titles offices relations and operations that shall end by their own confession when God is all in all but for the present the word hath its proper center in them this is a vail drawn over those orders institutions relations and operations proper to the house and kingdome of God as a door shut and fast bolted that men enter not which is made up and consists of the proper workmanship of mans natural heart which hath ever appeared a glory in mans eye to the darkening and hiding of that glory of the Son oâ— God therefore it is said that the ministration of condemnation is glorious glory is to be done away otherwise the vail is upon the heart of man to shut him out of the holy place that is our of that state of Christ Jesus when Moses is read unto this day 2 Cor. 3 so that the centring of the word of God in an earthly glory which must be don away is the ministry of condemnation which shuts up the way of salvation which is by Christ Luke therefore expresseth it in these words Ye have taken away the key of knowledge Luke 11. 52. that is ye have hid and covered by your earthly ties and relation the spirit of the Scriptures which as a key passeth through all those wards and bolts of humane relations and respects loosening and and dissolving them all as things of no value for the free passage of the Saints of God into a kingdome which fades not in any of its relations and respects but lasts for ever 1 Pet. 1. 4. 1 Pet. 5. 4. Or it causeth the wisdome of the flesh that great bar which bolts up the kingdome of God so to fall and fly back as â—he bolt of a lock when the wards are opened of which Christ saith get thee behind me Satan that the Saints of God may enter into the exercise of the wisdome and knowledge of God in which Luke makes the kingdome of God to consist saying Ye have taken away the key of knowledge and enter not into it that is into
are the ornaments of your offices unless the Church in your estimation prefer you and where are those treasures of gifts you have if the Church have not distributed them unto you Again ye fools and blind is not the Son of God he that makes holy as well as he that is made holy and are ye bound more strictly to the one then the other when as they are both one individual subsistance Hebr. 1. 2 3. Ephes 2. 14 15. neither is there any place of glory worship or holiness but in that mystical body in Gods account Ephes 2 16. nor is there any gift person place or office in that Temple and dwelling place of the most high that is preferred in dignity one above another save only as Gods oportunity calls for present use and exercise of any of them and that prefers every one or every thing in Christ our true and only Temple to be chief and have preheminency in its proper time and place Eccles 3. 1 11. Again whosoever swears by the altar it is nothing but he that swears by the gift that is thereon he is a debter that is say these false interpreters he that is ingaged to the altar may dispence with his being present thereat and his attendance thereupon even as there is a liberty in the alter it self to be erected not alwayes of the same materials for sometimes it is an altar of earth Exod. 20. 24. and it is also an alter of wood Exod 27. 1. Sometimes it is an altar of stone Exod. 20. 25. and sometimes an altar of brass Exod. 39 39. Yea and sometimes it is a golden alter Exod. 39 38. and yet the truth is the difference of the materials whereof the altar is appointed to consist gives not the least liberty to dispence with the bond or oath so as to be freed of or absent from the altar in any respect For the difference of the matter whereof the altar consists is only to declare unto us that when Christ Gods true and only memorial is erected and proclaimed unto the sons of men in the world when they through a misconceiving spirit and miscarrying womb Hosea 9. 14. do cast that memorial of God into a form carnal and set up a statue destitute of the life of God then are the Saints of God by his authority and appointment to erect the worship of God to consist in things as far differing from their carved form as wood differs from earth and stone from wood brass from stone and pure gold from brass and yet no declining nor departure from the altar in any respect Hence it is that the Spirit of God in its metaphorical expressions by the prophets in the appointments of the worship of God in holy Writ by its elegant allusions to things within the sphere of humane capacity concerning the ceremonies and services of the law which carnal Israel understanding according to humane reason framing and erecting forms unto themselves accordingly The same Spirit of God in the prophets thereupon inveighs against them cries them down and disanuls them as being mans meer inventions and no part of the scope of the Prophet nor any thing of the mind and intent of the Spirit of God Isaia 1. 11 15. Psalme 40. 67. Hebr. 10. 1 9 Again these false interpreters will confess that Christ is the true altar because the Apostle affirms so much Hebr. 13. 10 11 12. but their confession is meerly verbals for they say Christ is the altar only as he is God and the sacrifice as he is man when as the truth is there is no office or act appertaining unto the Son of God that can be ascribed unto a nature which is not of twain made one Ephes 2. 15. for if God at any time or in any thing had reckoned himself one of or absent from the son of man no possibility had been left to have cast up or found out another form for he is the Lord that changeth not Mallac 3. 6. But these men say however men may be ingaged to the altar yet they are not bound alwayes to attend uoon and be present with the Lord Christ who is the true altar for he now only resides in heaven a place remote from the Saints on earth as though Shâ—cinah according to the Chaldee phrase the divine presence or grace were so bound up in one Son of God as not extending it self to another as a first born of God also of whom our Apostle affitms that there is an assembly and Church of them Hebr. 12. 23. or as though humane nature in one of Gods holy ones were nearer to divine grace and fatherly compassion then in any of the rest of that stock whereas the Apostle affirms that through the great and precious promises we are made partakers of the divine nature 2. Pet. 1. 4. plainly shewing that the proper subject of the promise which Christ in us the hope of glory and the divine nature are never seperated which is the subject matter and mysterie of the Gospel Coll. 1. 27. 2 Cor. 1. 20. Wherefore to hold our selves not bonnd to the reality of the presence of the alter is to deny and falsifie the mysterie of the Gospel for the whole form and frame of the worship of God consists therein Therefore it is called in Hebrew Mizbeach and in Greek Thusiasterion that is the Sacrificatory or place of slaying the sacrifice as being that whereby the world is crucified unto us we unto the world Gal. 6. 14 15. therefore when the prophet foretels the calling of the Gentiles under the term of Egyptians he saith In that day the alter of the Lord shall be set up in the midst of Egypt and a piller by the border thereof unto the Lord and it shall be for a signe and witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt Isa 19 20. that is it shall testifie the deliverance of the people from all wayes of Idolatry and their investment into the whole frame of the pure worship of the true God Somet â—es the altar is called Ariel that is the Lion of God Isa 29. 1. as that which devours all adverse power which opposeth any part of the purity of Gods worship as it is erected in Christ who is that true pattern shewed only in the mount Acts 7. 44. Exod. 25. 40. Hebr. 8. 5. therefore the altar is sometimes called Haâ—el that is the mountain of God Ezekiel 43. 15. as that which is lifted up and established above the heights and tops of the principallities and powers of this world the platform whereof cannot be seen by any but only him who is taken up into the mount to converse with God therein But the false interpretours affirm that whosoever swears by the gift on the altar he is a debter or bound and ingaged thereby that is such as are ingaged in the gifts laid on the altar or exercised in the form of worship as the gift of tongues the knowledge of arts the gift
of forms of prayer or of preaching exhortation admonition or reproof they only who are invested into these in the way of a Judaical Levitical and literal law or law of the letter that is according to that humane order where they live these are bound to the presentation exercise and ordering of these gifts as their proper trade and calling exempted from others of the houshold of God And that all the rest of the people are ingaged unto these gifts to yield their submission unto them as also to maintain the parties thus gifted in the exercise of them the parties also being gifts themselves unto whom the people are bound and become debters concluding that pastours teachers prophets Apostles and Evangelists are given of God unto the rest of the people Jerem. 3. 15. Ephes 4. 11. therefore the gift binds but not the altar say they But what saith the answer of God to these men ye fools and blind that is ye are fools and idiots with respect unto Gods wisdome and manner of arguing even as a natural fool void of reason is not in a capacity to understand reason neither to receive it or give it out no more do you understand the way of Gods wisdome either to propose it to others or to receive and approve of it when it is propounded to you ye are blind also or in the dark not for want of the light shining for though the Son of righteousness cast out his beams upon you Matth. 5. 45. ye perceive nothing nay ye turn light into darkness in your selves And if the light that is in you be darkness how great is that darkness Matth. 6. 23. for the God of this world that is the wisdome of this world hath blinded the minds of the infidels that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ which is the image of God should not shine unto you or should not shine in you 2 Cor. 4. 4. for the world by wisdome or in and through wisdome is ignorant of God 1 Cor. 1. 21. Now to evince this his taxation he interrogates whether is greater the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift he confounds them in their own wisdome to prove them fools and blind in the wisdome of God for in humane reason that which makes holy must have the preheminency of that which is made holy by it the Authour and Fountain is greater then the product and the stream so that to strive against the wisdome of God brings a man to turn fool even in humane argument Again in point of Gods arguing they are fools and blind for Christ is the altar that makes holy Heb. 13. 10. he is also the gift that is made holy Iohn 3. 16 Iohn 17. 19 and if he be the one and the other which is of greater estimation and value for Christ is one there is but one lord Jesâ— Christ in whom are all things and we in him 1. Cor. 8 6. he being one there can be no choice in one nor preferring of one before another for what he is hath the worth and weight of the Son of God in it and therefore they argue not according to the order of Gods wisdome which is not extant in the truth and substance thereof but only in Christ 1 Cor. 1. 24. whence Christ infers a threefold argument for the conclusion of this point First therefore whosoever sweareth by the altar sweareth by it and by all things thereon that is no man can be ingaged unto the true altar the Son of God in whom the enmity is slain Ephes 2. 15 16 the flesh kild and crucified in all the affections and lusts thereof Galat. 5. 24 25. but he must be ingaged and sworn unto all things that belong and appertain to the Son of God for himself and his furniture are inseparably one and can never be divided whosoever therefore is bound over unto God by faith in Christ is bound over to the gift of prayer prophesie intercession mediation to the gift of Pastour Teacher Evangelist Apostle Priesthood Kingdome and whatsoever appertaineth unto the Lord Jesus that true altar for the altar withont the gifts is useless and attains not its end and what gift soever not found on that altar is void of holyness and falls short of acceptation before God and good men Secondly he inferres that whosoever sweares by the Temple sweareth by it and him that dwels therein that is he that is ingaged to the pallace or place of Gods abode which is the Church of God made an habitation of God through the Spirit that man is also ingaged and bound over unto the inhabitant and indweller the Lord himself for there is none ingaged unto the house of God but by ingagement unto God himself for they are not twain but one intire being so that none can erect a house or habitation for God but it must be framed in a capacity to sute such an inhabitant who is incomprehensible which nothing can do in heaven or in earth but only the Son of God Jesus Christ and none can describe an inhabitant fit to furnish and fill such a Temple or pallace but it must be the Lord alone that can do it when we set forth the Temple therefore in its true form and beauty we only declare the glory of Christ in that consideration therefore he saith destroy this Temple and I will build it up in three dayes speaking of his body John 2. 19 20 21. not only of his body doctrinal born of the Virgin Mary which may be construed literally and carnally as well as spiritually and heavenly Iohn 6. 51 58. but of his body mysticall comprehending all the Saints of God which if a man eat or communicate in he lives forever And when we describe him that dwells in the Temple we only set forth the glory of the Lord Jesus who dwels not in temples made with hands that is of mans building according to humane reason and art Hebr. 9. 11. for the heaven of heavens cannot contain him 1 Kings 8. 27. 2 Chron. 6. 18. much less an house coupled together according to those mean and beggerly thoughts of men whereby Churches are erected in these dayes which men may be bound too to day loose to morrow which is all one to say a man may be faithed and betrothed to Christ to day and unfaithed and devorced to morrow which is no less then to fall away from grace which such builders seem to inveigh against for the Temple and he that dwells therein are one never to be separated no more then God and man can be separated in Christ therefore such pharisaical interpretours who erect Churches as true Churches of God that admit of decay and falling from God in whole or any members thereof are they who have deceived and undone the world from the foundation thereof unto this day and are the proper witches of the world which the Scripture intends and that they may pass without notice being taken of them they
people as things acceptable unto God and a satisfactory refreshment and comfort to themselves in lue of their labours which have not the fulness of the fruits of righteousness in them which are by Jesus Christ and as they get an interest in mean earthly and carnal things received from the people in Schools Synods Libraries Counsels and carnal cases propounded unto them which is the tenth received by them to live upon as the life and sufficiency of their ministry which is as plainly preached unto the world as the labours and benevolence of the people is and must be the life of their bodies or else their doctrine cannot be afforded unto them So likewise they pay tithes of like nature giving them out into the chambers of that earthly house made with hands that is to say into persons and congregations built up only in way of humane wisdome for when these things thus received have passed in their hands under the rod or authority of Egypt and not of Israel then they carry out the tenth as it falls in their ordering of it as the proper store provided by God for the food and refreshment of the poor stranger fatherless and widows in an apish imitation of that house of God not made with hands but eternal in the heavens Nehem. 10. 34 39. Deut. 14. 28 29. Deut. 26. 12. 2 Cor. 5. 1. The things therefore thar these expounders of the law do receive and pay as acceptable unto God in point of tithing for and to God are mean and transitory yea there is nothing wherein their doctrine doth consist that shall be able to pass under the natural death of the body with them but their whole religion ends and perisheth there for whereas the Apostle concludes that now abides faith hope and love these three but the chiefest of these is love 1 Cor. 13. 13. they not understanding the Apostle in that no more then in the rest of his doctrine do conclude that love is chief because it abides and the others cease at the end of this life But love according to their sence ceaseth also for in this life they teach we love God in and through another mediatly but then we shall love him immediatly which is not only love in another respect but also another kind of love even as among men in humane love a man may love a woman as a neighbour but to love her with a matrimonial love is love of another kind so that their whole religion is to seek after death yea love it self that conjugal virtue Add further their God ceaseth at death for they teach that God in this life accepts of his children in and through another but after this life he accepts of them immediately in themselves but if ever God change his relation unto and respect of a Son of his begotten of his own will Iames 1 18. he ceaseth to be God for the true God is as constant in his relation and motion in every good gift and perfect giving as that father of lights in Christ without shadow or motion of turning Iames 1. 17. as the body of the sun in the firmament which gives light to the world is free from any stain of darkness in it self or motion to turn from that course which it hath held from the beginning The doctrine and practice of false interpretours in point of tithe is mean and transitory consisting of Mint Rew and every green herb now the herb is given and appointed by God not only for food unto man but also for every beast of the field for every fowl of heaven and for every creeping thing on the earth Gen. 1. 29 30. So that the acceptable thing in the doctrine of the lawyers is that which is common to the unreasonable creatures together with mankind as the herbs of the field are wherein so much is signified unto us for if they preach the acceptable thing in rule and authority carnal and temporary wherein the Son of God Christ is not extant then have recourse to the Lion whose roaring shall make the people afraid that is his people the beasts of the Forrest Amose 3. 8. is the order of a commonwealth extolled go to the Bee-hive and you shall see wonderful devises in the desposure of things therein for the commoditie of the whole is preaching or speech forewarning of eminent danger though temporary for pharises deceitful cannot give warning concerning eternal danger because they know it not no more then they know eternal deliverance and they are ignorant of Christ in whom only it is Then go to the fowl that watcheth whilst the rest feed and you shall hear him speak in the language of the rest sufficiently for their flight that danger approacheth their doctrine of excellency in an host or army as in their sense Go to the Locusts who all go forth by bands Prov. 30. 27. though they have no king yet their natural instinct leads them in marching out to make spoil and the horse is fitted with skil for the battle Prov. 21. 31. If the observations of times and seasons be acceptable go to the Stork and the Crane who observe the time of their coming Ierem. 8. 7. yea the appointed time If you accept as a thing acceptable to God bodily exercise in all diligence with prudency and study to forecast then go to the people of the Ants or Pismires who have the art and exercise thereof without any guide or governour to teach or command them therein Prov. 6. 6. Prov. 30. 25. If you will see care in buildings and fortifications you shall find it without instruction or command in the people of the Conies whose house is the rock and the Fir-tree the Stork nestles in for there is her dwelling Proverb 30. 26. Psalme 104. 17. If you exalt conjugal ties of love in your marriage Sermons go to the Turtle-dove who hath it without your teaching or pains of study If you take pains to declare the excellency of art go to the Bulfinch and the Lenot who shall learn a musical note as well as a man and if you plead for comliness in apparel go to the Lilly Matth. 6 â—8 and know of it who taught it so modestly to aray it self in a word for eating drinking sleeping marrying giving in marriage feasting fasting procreation and the like are but as the herbs of the field which other creatures may partake of as well as man and what but such inferiour things as these doth the doctrine of the pharises imploy it self in and busie it self about which are things that the instinct of nature brings forth whereby that glorious image of the Son of God wherein man was made is villified and debased by turning it into transient and corruptible things Rom. 1. 23 Psalme 106. 20. whereas there is not one point in the true doctrine of the Gospel but it is properly eternal according to the true scope and proper intent of the Spirit of God in the Scriptures of truth for however
maintain a King of Saints as one having rule of all and also a brotherhood of first-born having an equal share interest and act in all yet both can stand together in Christ they cannot make the woman subject unto the man obeying Abraham calling him Lord as giving him all honour and yet make her the mother of all the Israel of God as coming down from heaven having no more help of man then the Virgin hath who knows not a man in the conception and bringing forth of the Son of God or as Deborah who bears away the glory of the field they know not how to make the husband and the wife of equal authority that howsoever Pharaohs daughter forsakes her fathers house and kindred to submit only unto the glory wealth and wisdome of Solomon yet it is she that constitutes her sons as princes in all lands Psalme 45. as though no husband were concerned in any of them They cannot make the condition of a widow so honourable as a wife which she is if she be a widow indeed 1 Tim. 5. 3. For as her first husband the law of the carnal commandment is dead unto her so the rule and government of the whole house of God is upon her not being subject to any Tutour or governour but hath the power in her own hand and in her dispose which is no less honourable then Sarah to acknowledge Lordship and obedience Yea the woman can order and dispose of all things in the family yea clothe her husband and houshold in scarlet so that he is known by her when he sitteth in the gate Prov. 31. 10 31. The interpretours cannot see alike riches and honour in the diligence of a servant as in the command and authority of the master they cannot make a child newly born and a son newly given to be the everlasting father with an eternal government upon his shoulder The mighty God the prince of peace Isay 9. These things are parables unto carnal reason the rule by which false interpreters work by and therefore cannot make equal and even the things of God not knowing alike worth in the Son of God in whatsoever he is expressed They are full therefore of iniquity inequality and partiality ascribing excellency or baseness to things as it may serve only for the excellency and glory of the flesh in maintaining an earthly fading and tottering kingdome For they know not how to exalt every valley nor how to bring low every mountain and hill and to make the crooked streight and the rough places smooth and plain and therefore cannot make in the desert a path for our God Isay 49 3 4. and as they cannot equalize nor skilfully poise and make of like worth and weight all things in the word of God No more do they know how to reconcile or bring into agreement and mutual love and peace God and man but leave them at a perpetual jar and enmity and so are full of iniquity as it is considered sin in missing of Gods mind and intent or as it may imply punishment for sin procured and brought down upon men thereby Gen. 15. 16. Exod. 20. 5. Levit. 7. 18. false interpretation is full both of the one and the other The last thing to be observed in this point of application of the Metaphor of the grave unto the present purpose and persons is this that whatsoever the wisdome of God takes up and makes use of for the expressing of it self whether things in heaven or in earth or under the earth whether relations representations or acts done whether they appear to be evil or good acceptable or lothsome in the judgement of man as a grave becomes both it is a thing acceptable to bury the dead out of our sight Gen. 23. 3. 4. and it is lothsome to open and behold the putrifactions of the creature even of our own kind as in this place whatsoever it be that the word of God sounds in or utters it self by it is never brought into its proper sence nor interpreted according to its proper intent till it be brought unto the state and condition of mankind and so unto the state of the Son of God which the first man is said to be Luke 3. 38. which is found either in a state of death as false interpretours crucifie him afresh unto themselves Hebr. 6. 6. or else in a state of life as risen from the dead Rom. 8. 34. Coll. 3. 1. for man is either to be considered in the word of Gods wisdome possessed with eternal life according to the proper nature of that word or else the Son of God is formed by mans wisdome and so mortallized in and unto man whereby man comes to be possessed with an eternal death and these two conditions utter themin the world from the foundation thereof for the preaching of a true Apostle is not in the inticing words of mans wisdome but in plain evidence of the spirit and of power 1 Cor. 2. 2. it is not the wisdome of this world neither of the princes of this world that comes to naught but we speak the wisdome of God in a mystry even the hid wisdome which God hath determined before the world to our glory 1 Cor. 2. 6 7. So that as the word of God springs originally from the form of Gods wisdome in Christ who is the true mind and manifestation of the father and fountain of all things So it terminates it self in nothing as its proper scope and true intent but in the same form of Gods wisdome in the Son and we may as well conclude that some of the words of God in the beginning were framed by some other wisdome then the wisdome of God which were to frame and set up a gross Idol in the place of God for the Psalmist affirms that in wisdome of God made them all Psalme 104. 24. as to conclude that the word of God lodgeth it self in any thing as its proper intent and aim save only that form of Gods wisdome which he hath only contrived in his Son Christ and is not elsewhere to be found and a like indignity is offered unto the Son of God in denying him to be the end of all things as to deny him to be the Authour and beginning of all things as he is that everlasting father Isa 9. 6. those then who build transitory fabricks by ingaging mens consciences unto the labour of the work by the word of God as by intending the erecting of that fading form they do nothing else but bless an Idol which is nothing in the world 1 Cor. 8. 4. for it is the vanifying of the word and work of God to themselves and such as follow them therefore such false interpretours are such as bring their brethren to destruction or perdition therefore the Apostle useth the same word to such Idol worshipers and interpretours signifying what their word brings them unto namely to the state of Jadas where the same word is used of him
Satan is said to be a murtherer from the beginning and so he is in all who wander in that way of Cain unto this day how comes it to passe then that Satan is said to tempt the Saints when no wicked man is found near nor seems to know thereof for the heart of man is deceitfull above measure who can know it save only the Lord who searcheth the same Ier. 17. 9 10. And every man is said to be tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lust Iam. 1. 14. and Christ was tempted of the Devil where we read of none to be in that place but wild Beasts at that time saving himselfe and Satan Mar. 1. 12. for at Satans departure the Angels are said to minister unto him Mat. 4. 11 if then Satan tempt not but in the wick ed men of the world how could Christ be tempted and no wicked man there Answ For answer therefore unto the question propounded to clear the point to our understandings we first addresse our selves to lay down certain conclusions whereupon to build the answer in the confirmation thereof 1 First that it is the word of God whereby God and man become one for by the word of God alone all things are accomplished and brought to passe He spake and it was done he com manded and it stood fast Psalm 33. 9. it is the word that made aâ—l things and it is the word that conserves all things unto this day Psalm 119. 89. 90. 91. Now the word of God is the will of God and the will of God is the law of God as the word signifies where it is said Thy will be don may as fitly be read thy law be don Mat. 6. 10. and there is no law without a relation therefore the word or will of God which is God himselfe never was considerable nor did acknowledge or own it selfe but in that relation of God and man in Iesus Christ for that which is not all things is not God and he cannot be a Creature as well as a Creator but in Christ he cannot be death as well as life but in Christ he cannot be in time as well as eternall but in Christ he cannot be a saved as well as a Saviour but in Christ he cannot be a son as well as a father but in Christ no he cannot be that mutuall espousall so set forth in their ornaments in that song of songs which is Solomons to bring forth his own proper offspring in the fruits of righteousnesse but in Christ so that the Almighty and illimited one not subject to time stretcheth out it selfe unto all times taking into unity mans nature or manner of being who is truly said to be in time and in that unity the word of God doth consist and out of it the creating vertue and saving power of the word of God never uttered it self nor was the will or law of God or God himselfe ever known or found out ofâ— that consistence of God and man in one undivided act or being he was never God without an act nor was he ever act without being God his operation gives form to Christ and the form of Christ is the word of God by whom and through whom and for whom are all things Rom. 11. 36. The subtle Philosophers of this age who cunningly work in that art of the Magicians or Wise men of Egypt in going about to describe God by the delineation of several names and attributes in a simple divine essence or being without respect unto or any union had with mankind these are pure and absolute Atheists and denyers of God in that they prescribe a sta e of divine being wherein the son of God as Iesus Christ is neither reckonable nor of any use this is as absolute and abominable Atheisme as to conclude that the Creature that is the whole visible Creation did produce it selfe and give it self form and motion without the Almighty power of an infinite and eternal God for to describe or bring to light the Creator in any thing without respect unto the Creature is all one as to describe and bring forth the Creature without respect unto a Creator and how abominable that is let all men judge the one is the doctrine of the Priesthood of the world in their catechizing orthodox evangelized divinity and the other is the doctrine of the Sooth-sayers and Star-gazers in their Astrological and prophetical fictions both of them alike deceiving the world in all ages thereof Isaiah 47 13. 14. 15. Dan. 1. 20. Dan. 2. 27. 28. 2 A second conclusion for the answer of the question propounded is that the word of God never uttered it selfe but as it layes it selfe in a twofold fountain for it could never utter it self in that simple and single bosom of eternity for so there were not any thing to utter it selfe unto and then there can be no publication thereof and therefore must be founded in a creature to spring up from thence therefore the Psalmist affirms that out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast founded strength Psalm 8. 2. that is thou hast not only established and grounded all thy praises there but thou hast fitted and made them most perfect in that way as the greeke word Katertiâ—o signifies which the Apostle useth Mat. 21. 16. A like phrase is used concerning the enemies of Christ they set themselves and take counsell together that is as the words there import they have laid their plot and foundation as persons united to accomplish their designs Psalm 2. 2. so God hath laid the platform and foundation of the manifestation of himselfe in all his wayes and works whatsoever in Christ the weaklings of the world who have no helpe of man at all that they can any way depend upon Psalm 146. 3. 4. Psalm 60. 11. So that the word of God is laid and founded in the Creature as truly as in the Creator to spring up and utter it self from the unity of them both or else how came the Creature to exist if the word of God did not spring up in it and utter it selfe thereby only observe this that as man was the last in the Creation as the end and scope of all who only was made in the image of God even so the proper drift and scope of the word of God in a l the rest of Gods works runs properly unto mankind as being that Masterpeece of all Gods works wherin the word of God only terminates it self and not elsewhere as in any other Creature whatsoever in Heaven or Earth for all the rest of the Creatures are but as the hand in the Dyal or sound of the Clock which proclame and point at time which they themselves are not but may give true or false intelligence according to the skill of him who hath the ordering of them even so all the rest of the Creatures they point at and poclame Christ as another thing than any or all of themselves are and may
of the Scriptures in what soever they expresse themselves therefore it is that Christ saith before Abraham was I am Iohn 8. 58. and the gift of Prophecy which went before of Timothy is to be in exercise in his present ministry 1 Tim. â— 14. As also by this spirit of wisdom the man of God knowes how to cause the acts of eternity with respect to things to come joyfully to face about and swiftly to countermarch to our present station and to exercise themselves in the present postures and operations wherein we are conversant Ezek. 12. 27. 28. Therefore it is that Luke differeth the phrase abridging them into Prophets and Apostles Now we know that Apostles are Leaders to usher in the death resurrection and ascension of Christ as eye witnesses thereof now an eye-witnesse gives a real presence to the things testified because his eye doth communicate in the things else is there no ground of certainty for judgement to passe either in order to absolution or of condemnation Also a Prophet foretel ing things to come must likewise bring and state them in present act and being for he cannot be known to be a true Prophet unlesse the thing foretold become to passe Ier. 28. 8. 9. And the reason of all this is because the work of God is an infinite eternall and undivided act as himselfe is which illustrates and conserves it selfe inpleasure and delight in the Creature for ever through the variety of operations infinitely comprehended in that one simple and intire act so that no time nor place power nor deâ—ect can ever weave any thing thereinto bearing another nature or working to another end than that which this simple and eternal act hath infinitely framed and disposed it selfe unto Psalm 33. 9. 10. 11. And hence Christ brings in that perpetuated act of false interpreters of the word of God in point of their entertainment of these Prophets and Apostles who are thus uncessantly sent unto them that is Of them ye shall kill and crucifie and of them shall ye scourge in your Synagogues and persecute from City to City 1 they kill or murder them as the word imports that is extort and take away without or against law the life and spirit of the prophecies and doctrines contained in the word of God of which Christ thus affirms The words that I speak they are spirit and they are life Iohn 6. 63. and where the spirit and proper intent of the Scriptures is taken away and extinct there the life of the Prophet is never found but a dead carkasse of the law of works so that a false Interpreter will not afford the word of God its proper place of breathing for the spirit of the Scriptures is the proper life of Christ which is in motion where-ever that is kept pure and preserved even from everlasting to everlasting but these men stifle the word of God by confining it to times as thus such parts of the word of God had their lively hood and operations in the world which is now past and therfore not to be acted now but only a speculative or tipical use to be made thereof in our dayes this is to murder the Prophet also such Scriptures are for our proper use to move act by in these dayes which were not in times past nor hereafter shall be of such use this is to murther the Prophet Again such Scriptures shal be in act herafter as many things in the revelation of Iohn which are not now to be practised by us in our dayes this is to kil the Prophets Again they stifle the word oâ— God by peece-mealing and confining it to persons as that some places or parts of the word of God are to be acted by some persons in place and office but not by others of the People of God wheras Christ gives like liberty and like restraint to all that are his for as they are all first-born of God and Kings and Priests unto God so are they all Subjects and Servants of God and one to another Rom. 12. 5 Moreover they confine the word of God to places as in such places it is not now heard of but in such places the report of it is whereas the Apostle affirms that with out all doubt or controversie the sound thereof is gone through the Earth and their words unto the ends of the world Rom. 10. 18. These are the wayes of strangling and murthering the Prophets by expelling the true spirit and spacious intent of the word of God in which life only doth consist and ever did in respect of the true being motion and conservation of the same and to deny the word of God its proper and continued operation and manner of being in the Saints of God is all one as to deny the Son of God to be ever the same which iâ— to crosse and thwart the verdict of the wisdome and spirit of God Heb. 13. 8. and not to give Christ the extent of his life in the simplicity and integrity thereof in his operations in all times and ages yea from everlasting to everlasting Psal 90 1. 2. is to kill and take away the life of the Son of God by measuring him according to the dimensions of a creature and not according to God for he is made of God unto us or in us that is God is in the consistence and the fulnesse of God gives being to that state of the Son and not the things of the creature so that he is made in us wisdom righteousnesse Sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. and that of God not of the Creature it is the righteousnesse of God and not a righteousnesse of a Creature it is the wisdom of God and not of a Creature it is the holinesse of God and not any thing proper to a meer Creature and so it is the Redemption of the Son of God and not of one of lesse worth from all bondage captivity and slavery that he that â—loryeth may glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. 31. or as the word is that he that praiseth himselfe may praise himself in the Lord that is we are to praise our selves or commend our selves in the things of God and not of man in the wisdom power riches righteousnesse life peace truth and holinesse roper unto all mighty God and not in any thing proper unto any or all the Creatures For the word of God in the true and native signification thereof was never expressed but by the Spirit of God for that only knows the mind of the Lord and searcheth the deep things of God which none else ever did neither can do 1 Cor. 2. 9. 10. â—1 12. neither was the word of God ever resident or rightly conceived according to Gods intent but as in the minde of that Son of man the man Christ and if his spirit and life be not extended and maintained according to that form and comprehension of his mystical body and otherwise he is not taught a spiritual but a
carnal Christ 2 Cor. 5. 16. then is his life and spirit taken away for not to give it to him is to take it away and so the true Prophet is slain and crucified for deny a Plant its residency in the earth and ye kill the Plant deny a Fish her being in the water and you kill the Fish deny the spirit of God its reall residency and aboad throughout the whole Confines and Circumference of Christ his mystical and spirituall body and you kill the spirit of Christ and have murthered the true Prophet in your selves Count therefore and reckon if you can how many killers and murtherers of the Prophets there is extant at this day who would be counted men that maintain their lives and say if we had been in the dayes of Saul Ahab Iezabel and Herod we would not have done as they did or in the dayes of the Scribes Pharisees Elders Lawyers and High Priests we would not have done as they did the proper plea of all such persons as these were is to kill the spirit of the word build up the tomb of the letter 2 They do not kill but crucifie those that are sent unto them that is they nail or fasten them to the crosse or to the Gibbet as the word Crosse signifies or Gallows which is the shamefulest Engines that man wisdom can devise to erect to take away the lives of such as are Enemies unto or Troublers of a state a death fitter for a dog than a man made in the image of God a sensible and intelligible man cannot but be ashamed of his own kind as he is a man to see a man bearing his form and visage to hang upon the gallows it is the shame of man and therefore Christ is said to be made a curse in that he was hanged on a tree Deut. 21. 23. Gal. 3. 13. Now the crucifying or nailing of the man of God unto the Crosse or hanging him on a tree is the greatest shame can be done to the Son of God which is by false interpretation of the word of God placing the glory of God a consisting in his humane offices and institutions which is indeed the proper shame of the Son of God to account or esteem of him according to any momentany or transient thing whose Kingdome is eternall Dan. 4. 3. 34. Heb. 1. 8. and therefore not of this world Iohn 18. 36. for it affords nothing whereof a Kingdome of that nature can be composed or ordered but is the very inlet of the curse and the proper maintainer thereof in the world being that whereunto the spirit of the word is fastened unto the giving up of the ghost of all those proper vertues livelihood appertaining unto the same in all those who are proper actors in tying the spirit and intent of the word of God unto the outward form of words Grammatical and Logical construction of the Scriptures who teach that the curse consists in being void and destitute of temporary Ordinances power and glory had and maintained by such institutions and that they are cursed who seek to blast and cause to wither such manner of glory in whomsoever it is promoted as chief to bear sway which is no more but to follow the Lords direction in giving Caesar his due in that which belongs unto him Matthew 22. verse 20. where Christ brings in Caesar in opposition unto God and if all manner of good be due unto God and belong unto him we must give him the glory and right of it all and then none belongs to any other therefore the due of Caesar must be all evill according to the nature of that spirit which thus comes to insnare Christ therefore nothing but p I de and cruelly subtle and mischievous devises and enterprises is to be expected or looked for from the world wherever the glory of it bears sway and the image and superscription of the Son of God is not found who is the brightnesse of the glory of the father which no man ever saw at any time neither can a carnall eye behold it and live Heb. 1. 3. Iohn 1. 18. 1 Iohn 4. 12. Exod. 33. 20. And therefore it is that the glory of the world which is obvious unto man doth vomit the spirit of the word of God out of their proper state and condition as an accursed and pernicious thing as an enemy to Caesar a Sectary Schismaâ—ick-babler broacher of new Opinions a fellow of no learning or else too much learning hath made him mad an Allegorizer of the Scriptures or spiritual Leveller though he meddle not with temporary privileges and carnall interests therefore it was that they hanged Christ upon a Tree between Heaven and Earth as cast out of their jurisdiction as being no part of their Kingdom and glory neither in point of subjection nor rule and command and as the Revolution of the Heavens serve to putrifie and corrupt a dead body hanged upon a Tree so is it with the revolutions of all wicked states in the world who corrupt and falsifie the word of God in all their motions they corrupt and putrifie that mysticall body of Christ unto themselves and become as guilty as those wicked Iews in putting the innocent unto a cruel and shameful death because his doctrine exalts the glory of God which is eternall wherein the life of Christ consists and abaseth the glory of the world which is temporary in which glory the life of Antichrist doth consist yet it is not denyed but a Servant of Christ may use the glory of the world in the outward â—orm thereof as though he used it not 1 Cor. 7. 31. taking it up only as a vanishing vapour even as a limb of Antichrist may use the name of God when he makes small account thereof but his heart is after the workes and power of Satan Ezekiel 33. 30 -33 Mat. 27. 22. 23. And because of this nailing of Christ unto the Crosse fastning his glory upon temporary and carnal things he complains against such wicked and carnall Iewes saying they pierced my hands and my feet Psalm 22. 16 that is as the feet are the instruments of motion and the hands of skilfull operation and curious works which being nailed unto a Tree there is a cessation of both so this fastning of the Spirit and glory of the word of God upon humane and carnall things as though that were the Law of the spirit of Life this takes away all that proper motion and skilfull operation which the Lord Iesus hath exercised in his Saints from the foundation of the world making a nullity of them all Therefore contrary unto this Christ nails this Law of the carnal Commandement standing in the Ordinances of men that handwriting which is against us unto that his Crosse where he is crucified in point of all spirituall life and exercise which is that accursed thing Col. 2. 14. Gal. 3. 13. even that glory of the world preverted before the glory of the Son
the guilt observe these things 1 What manner of blood it is or whose blood it is that is righteous blood according to Matthew the blood of all the Prophets according to Luke 2 Observe how it is dealt with that is it is shed and the place where upon the Earth 3 From what time it is shed that is from the foundation of the World 4 Vnto what time that is to the present generation 5 That of them it is required that is of the present generation as Luke records it 6 And lastly that it comes upon them according to Matthew For the first the Spirit of God stiles it righteous blood and it affirms also that it is the blood of all the Prophets from the foundation of the World so that there is the same guilt in taking away the life of any of the Saints or Prophets of God that is of any true Interpreter of the word of God in the present age that ever was in the spilling of any righteous blood in the world from the foundation thereof Christ Iesus himselfe not exempted for there is but one righteous life and death as the word blood signifies both which are ever found in Christ and never elsewhere for in all the operations of life he is the Lord our righteousnesse Ier. 23. 6. by whom we live unto God now I live not I any more but Christ liveth in me Gal. 2. 20. Again there is but one righteous blood in point of death unto sin and Satan therefore Christ once suffered and once offered up himselfe 1 Pet. 3. 18. Heb. 9. 26. Heb. 10. 10. which is not found but in Christ for it is one act which comprehends all the Saints therefore the Apostle saith I now rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up the remainder or that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ Col. 1. 24. that is I fulfill in my flesh that off-spring or posterity of the suffering of Christ which are common unto that incorporate body according to the true intent and meannig thereof shall we think our selves to be the off-spring and posterity of Christ and not have the similitude of Christ in all things Was ever such a generation brought forth that bears not the image of the Progenitor if we be implanted into his resurrection we are implanted into his death also Romans 6. 5. if any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is not of his Rom. 8. 9. and so it may be said of all things that are appropriated to Christ as his peculiar interest if any man have not the life of Christ the same is none of his if any man have not the wisdome of Christ the same is none of his and if any man have not the death of Christ that man is none of his we conclude then there is but one righteous life and death in the true posterity and off spring thereof wherefore he that spills the life by living carnally unto the things of the world or he that spils the death by dying carnally unto the things of God that man is guilty of blood in the highest degree for there is but one righteous blood therefore the same guilt and condemnation in the shedding thereof in whom or what age or generation soever Moreover it is but one and the same spirit of that one word of God which hath been falsified and cruelly destroyed by false interpretation from the foundation of the world which is that name of Christ that none can read but himselfe for he is called the word of God Rev. 19. 12. 13. Now if the letter of the word were Christs name or authority then any wicked man might read and know the name of Christ yea the Devill himselfe in his tentations alleged the letter of the Scripture Mat. 4. 6. compared with Psalm 91. 11. 12. who is so far from the knowledge of Christ or from acknowledging him in his vertues to be that which he is But none can know this name of Christ namely the word of God but himselfe therefore wheresoever the truth of the word of God is known there is Christ himselfe he that is guilty therefore of the neglect or rejection of the spirit of the word of God or of that law of the spirit in whomsoever it is that person is guilty of the neglect and rejection of Christ himselfe Luke 10. 16. for none hath or knoweth that name but himself 2 The second point is how they deal with this blood where it is shed that is on the Earth false interpretation lets the blood of Christ who is heavenly out of its proper place as Cain did the blood of Abel which is therefore said to cry from the ground Gen. 4. â—0 it speak but not as in its proper veines and place of its naturall residency and aboad contrary to that blood of sprinkling which is therefore said to sprinkle Heb. 12 24. as having livelyhood and spirit in it to give life and motion to the whole body and therefore speakes better things than that of Abel in as much as life is better than death But the blood being shed on the Earth as Christ affirms here in this place it is that is expounded and applyed carnally as that the death of Christ should consist in the separation of the soul and body of a man living and dying only in such an age or time of the world and not else thus to draw forth the death or the life of Christ is to shed it upon the earth and as blood shed upon the ground is a meanes for the ground to bring forth more abundantly earthly fruits which are naturall to the ground where it is shed but none of those fruits which it brings forth in the body the proper place of its residency even as the blood of a Lamb shed and sucked up by a Woulf ceaseth to have any more the livelyhood and spirit of a Lamb in it but it is now translated and changed by its community with the Woulf as the ptoper agent to work upon into the liâ—e spirit motion and nature of the Woulf so is it in that way of false interpretation for it takes the spirit and life of the word of God out of its proper place that is to say out of that mysticall body of Christ and will not give it its proper place of its aboad For they say that the Saints of God have only some created or creature-like vertue and certain influences of the spirit of Christ but not the same spirit in the reality of it which the Son of God hath They say the Saints of God have a death in them to sin and Satan but not the reality of the death of Christ They teach that the people of God have the righteousnesse of Christ else they could not be just before God but it is not in them nor theirs properly as they are Saints but it is the righteousnesse of another that is nearer to God than themselves and is only imputed to
them as others inferior to him These assume a life spirit and righteousnesse of Christ but confesse that the reality of their proper aboad is in another namely in Christ himselfe these have let out the life and spirit of Christ into another condition distinct from himselfe and therefore he is another than they upon whom these things are imputed and powred out And hence it is that as blood shed on the Earth loseth its proper spirit and life and the ground converting it strengthens it selfe thereby even so this doctrine drawes out the blood of Christ so as it loseth its naturall and proper vertue and is no more the life and spirit of the Lamb of God the Saviour of the World but is become the life and spirit of a Woulf ravening and devouring to his utmost power the flock of God whereunto he comes it is no more the life and Spirit of Christ but of Antichrist no more the Spirit of God but is the spirit of that evill one 3 The third point noted is the time that is from what time it is shed that is very ancient namely from the foundation of the World that is this spirit of false interpretation is the originall ground and cause of all bloodshed and murther that ever was in the World as it was in that wicked Cain who slew his brother in the beginning 1 Iohn 3. 12. by false interpreting of the Sacrifices of God to consist in earthly things therefore is said to offer the fruits of the ground Gen. 4. 3. unto the Lord which is his evill work which the Apostle notes to be the cause of the murther saying And wherefore slew he him but because his own work was evill and his brothers good 1 Iohn 3. 12. Even so it is unto this day false interpretation in carnallizing the word of God falsifying that acceptable Sacrifice which is the firstling of the Flock that Abel brings this is the cause of all murther and bloody persecution unto this day for it only upholds the way of Cain and wages of Balam in the World Jude 11. which spirit of Cain kept alive in ceremoniall and traditionall Jews Christ tels them they are of their father the Devill who is a Murderer from the beginning alluding to that act of Cain Iohn 8. 44. 4 The fourth point is to what time this act of murther reacheth and comes that is unto this present generation for as false Interpretation is the originall of murther and killing of the spirit of all the Prophets so also it is that off-spring present appearance and actor thereof in all ages for as the wisdom of God taking the Son of man or Adam earth into unity with it selfe there is blessednesse and conservation of eternall liâ—e in all that off-spring wherein this wisdom is pleased to propagate it selfe in the true construction given of that wisdom and word of God So also the wisdom of the Serpent taking into its counsel or unity with it self the Son of God or heavenly condition which hath Lordship over all by false construction of the word and work of God doth thereby become guilty and accursed in all the off spring and generation thereof where and in whomsoever the spirit of the Serpent in false interpretation appeareth the one of these is the seed of the woman the other the seed of the Serpent which in all ages and in all things are at enmity and in opposition the one to victory to be set upon the Throne of David perpetuated as the Sun before the Lord Psal 89. 35. 36. â—7 and the other in way of the Fall is cast down unto the Earth where he makes war with the remnant of the seed of the woman yea is thrust down into the bottomlesse pit and place of destruction for ever Rev. 12. Rev. 20. 1. 2. 3. and at so wide a difference doth the true and false interpretation of the word of God begin proceed and end in 5 The fifth point is that of them it is required that is the blood of all the Prophets of God shed from the foundation of the world is required of the present generation inquisition for blood being made it is required at their hands and God will inquire after exactly exquisitely or perfectly as the Greek word aâ—riboas translated inquire signifies Act. 23. 20. for the Lord will inquire or the word of God will seek and find out bloods in the form plural Psalm 9 12. that is such as corrupt both the life and the death of the Son of God both being included in the word bloods he will inquire that is execute vengeance exactly to the uttermost therefore where Moses saith God will inquire or require of him that hearkens not unto the words of the Prophets Deut. 18. 19. the Apostle Peter alleging the words of Moses saith that he that will not hearken to the words of the Prophet God shall destroy him from among the People Acts 3. 23. In which inquisition after blood or requiring of it exactly note these two things I. First Consider the incomprehensible nature of the Fact in takingaway and disanulling the life and spirit of the word of God for it is called the blood of God Act. 20. 28. and if it be of that infinite and incomprehensible nature what shall be found of a valuable consideration to satisfie and make payment to the uttermost farthing which is exactly required to be done or else imprisonment for ever Mat. 5. 25. 26. II. Consider that if this blood guiltinesse have not only in it the originall of all murther but also is in a continued act there of successively crucifying the Lord afresh unto himselfe and puts him to open shame Heb. 6. 6. When can a just and exact punishment cease if the cruell act of the murther be still in operation for the cause of this complaint They have pierced my hands and my fe t is never out of act in any wicked man whatsoever Psalm 22. 16. no more than the conservation of the life of the spirit of God is out of act in the Lord Iesus Christ whereit ever liveth to make intercession in the Saints Heb. 7. 25. Rom. 8. 25. 26. 34. 6 The sixth point is that it shall come upon them according to Matthew that is the blood guiltinesse together with the exact punishment and plague for taking away the life and spirit of the word of God in carnallizing and making a dead carkasse of the same And it is said to come upon them in like sense in way of opposition as the Spirit of God is said to come upon the Saints of God so as to cloath them with might and power to do great workes or to performe mighty and miraculous workes in and by them so it is said the spirit of God came upon Othniel Gideon and Sampson to do mighty works unresistably Iudg. 3. 10. Iudg. 6. â—4 Iudg. 14. 5. 6. Even so the spirit of guilt and destruction comes upon false Interpreters to their utter
pittance thereof is applicable to every particular beleever in any or in all ages of the world and to tye the salvation of God unto any time or party concerned in that mystical body of Christ more than to any other is to divide Christ and may as well say that Paul was crucified for us as to ascribe more power of salvation to one Saint than to another â— Cor. 1. 13. for it is nothing else but to deny God to be all in all Ephes 1. 23. Therefore false Interpreters are the proper and immediate Actors of that so cruel and bloody murther in the shedding of one and the same innocent blood of the Son of God for no more than Christ can be divided or the proper spirit and life of his word can be made twain Iohn 6. 6â— or the spirit of Satan halfed or parted which is the quenching of that immeasurable spirit of God in all its vertuous operations no more can any false Interpreter of the word of God free himself from being guilty of all the righteous and innocent bloodshed upon the Earth since the foundation of the World Therefore in the fifth place Christ affirms in way of an asseveration or oath saying Verily Amen or So be it to that which he hath and shall affirm concerning this matter being irrevocable confirmed by an avowed sentence which depends upon the truth and certainty of his being the word of God to perform and put in execution the same Verily I say unto you that all these things shall come upon this generation that is in how many respects that one Sacrifice of Christ is offered up to God as an holy and acceptable offering which is multiplyed according to the severall Sacrifices and Offerings appointed by the law which are innumerable in so many respects shall guilt in the annihilating of all these things come upon this generation of false interpretation of the law of God and also by how much the offices and Officers by the appointment of God are multiplyed in way of Family Tribe City Tabernacle Temple Army ' and in the whole Kingdom of God which cannot be numbred by so much shall the multiplication of guilt and condemnation come upon this generation for killing and unjust annihilating of them all therefore it is said that all these things shall come upon this generation of false Interpreters as with full force and power never to be resisted but it shall come upon this age line or off-spring of false interpretation of the word of God as it is the proper portion of every particular of them as their inheritance both by birth as being the seed and off-spring of the Serpent and also by due desert as purchased unto themselvs by their own act Mat. 3. 7. Hos 13. 9. 1 Note from hence that such are false Interpreters of the word of God who teach that only the sins committed in one time place or age shall come upon those who live in that age time or place they not being guilty of any other for it is the sin and guilt of all ages that every Unbeleever attracts ur to himself for it is the nature of the spirit sinning that attracts the guilt and not any place or tract of time therefore Luke saith it shall be required of this generation as one intire act for as the demand of the Almighty is but one in making inquisition for blood Psalm 9. 12. so the blood is but one the guilt is but one and it is but one act of exaction of penalty requiring it to the uttermost farthing at the hands of every one found in the Fact Matthew â— 26. It is to be admired to see how zealous some persons are to cut off exorbitant persons where they live to clear the Land of sin and so free it from Gods execution of vengeance if they can cut off the seed of the Serpent there were some hope to attain their end which is as difficult a thing to do as to dry up the water in the Ocean Sea or if they could take away the life of Cain whom God hath said no man shall kill Gen. 4. 15. for there is no man that is a meer man destitute of the Spirit of God but will uphold and maintain earthly Sacrifices which whilst men cry out against other exorbitances to the cutting off the lives of thousands as for Theft Murther Adulteries and the like which are not to be tolerated amongst men in the mean time the life of Cain is not only preserved but stood for and maintained in earthly worships and carnall and blemished Sacrifices halt lame and blind brought unto God wherein Cain lives as also the spirit of the Serpent is maintained in carnall policies subtle devises and enterprises in all estates callings and conditions of men though secretly carried on that the body and bulk of the people discern it not or else over-awed they dare not expresse it but Satan in such things can transform himself into an Angel of Light so as all hands shall set to to maintain it 2 Cor. 11. 14. 15. And this spirit of the Serpent or of such as wander in the way of Cain Iude 11. is that which attracts not only the guilt of the sin of the present age but also the sin of all ages past and to come if these Zealots could cut off this spirit from the Land it were a work that was never heard of that is that it hath not a residency upon the Earth yea in every earthly minded man though he never come under the breach of the lawes of man but could walk as Paul speaks of this Pharisaicall practice concerning the law blamelesse that is in the judgment reason of man Phil. 3. 6. if men could cleanse the world or their jurisdiction of this spirit which carries the guilt of the sin of all times and places in every particular time place and person when where or in whomsoever it properly acts then I should think they would not rest in Heaven till they had been in Hell to vanquish it there also and this is the spirit that every Christian contends with and stands in opposition against for falsifying of the word of God for ever and to shew the wickednesse thereof is his proper errand in the world in the justification of the words of wisdome which is of God but he can no more desire that such a thing should not be than he can desire a nullity of his own salvation or a cessation of the justice of God 2 Note further that they are no lesse false Interpreters of the word of God who reach that the labour of a Saint and glory wherewith he is clothed consists in those particular acts and operations done in that tract of time wherein he sojourns and abides here below conversant among these terrene creatures whereas it is true that his operations and the benefit and glory of them reacheth according to the extent of that spirit whereof he is and from which all his
thing thereby wherein men have put alike excellency Further if the law of carnall Jerusalem did not deiâ—ie marriages of man and woman by terminating the word of God in them so as men expect a certain Heaven in fulfilling thereof otherwise would they run into adulteries but only that they find not their hope at home but resolve it is to be found else where and thus it is in point of honour outward peace great friends and allies which Ierusalem after the flesh hath set up as Gods in the world for men to adore and worship and spare nothing for the obtaining and maintaining the same Moreover this carnall Ierusalem makes gods of terrour or rather Devils to be avoyded of temporary things as poverty idlenesse fornication drunkenness pride in gay apparel want of obedience to Parents Ministers Majestrates terminating the word of God as its proper errand to mankind in these things in all their prohibitions curses and comminations which fils some with terrour and fear it may be despaire and madnesse in their coming short of perfection in their abstaining from such things and others are filled with itching desires to taste of them apprehending some strange and uncouth thing to be in that which is so prohibited whereas if the Law of God were rightly exhibited and set forth it would moderate mens hearts in the pursute of any earthly excellency seeing the vanity of it and quell all fears of wants and miseries arising from the want of the glory of it knowing that God hath given commission to all things to work for the good of every one of his Rom. 8. 28 -35 Christ therefore directs his speech against Ierusalem as that mother City law or order that brings forth Scribes and Pharisees who by their law stone the Prophets of God and such laying claime unto the law is the reall deniall of the law as bad as those whom they call Antiscripturians a term soon found out to make men odious But it were better to fill their ears with arguments to the stifling of all such ignorant spirits as deny the present power and authority of the word of God Though these men think themselves such as are flown beyond and above others and therefore wait either for a new word never yet recorded from the mouth of Christ when he comes to reign on Earth as a Monarch or else for such a spirit as yet never breathed in the sons of men and so look at the word of God recorded as a thing now out of date according as they judge of the Ceremonies of the Law These are false Interpreters of the word and are under a law of this carnall Jerusalem that Christ thus chargeth in that they make the eternall word of God which is the same with God himself and lives alike together with himself in the Saints in all ages these persons therefore that deny the â—â—esent power and vertue of the word of God are as really these deceitfull and hypocriticall Expounders as those Scribes and Pharisees were to whom Christ speakes and arise from Hagar the bond-woman as really as those descended of that Ierusalem who is in bondage with her children declaring themselves to be no children of the free-woman and so no heirs of promise For they may as well professe the eternall word that Son of God and Saviour of the world to be void of vertue and have no operation in or upon the Saints of God whether living upon the Earth or departed this life who is he that upholds all thingt by his power Heb. 1. 3. and saith of himself by the Psalmist the foundations of the Earth are weake I bear up the Pillars thereof Selah Psalm 75. as to affirm that the word of God recorded in Scripture is either out of date and not of present use or destitute of any vertue and power which once it had For if these men will have the Characters of the word of God void and out of date as records of no use they deal not truly with themselves unlesse they make the whole work of God in the creation of this visible world to be out of date yea their own bodies and souls with all the operations and imaginations of their hands and hearts for the Letter and Character of the Scripture is engraven in them all therefore it is that all things are called upon by the Psalmist to utter and set forth the high praises of the Lord Psalm 148. as all his Angels all his Hosts all high places yea praise him Sun and Moon and all Stars of Light the Heavens of Heavens and Waters that be above the Heavens yea things from the Earth Dragons and all Deepes Fire Hail Snow and Vapour stormy Wind and Tempest doing his will Mountains and all Hils fruitfull Trees and Cedars the wilde Beasts and all Cattell creeping things and feathered fowls Kings of the Earth and all People Princes and all Iudges of the Earth young Men and also Maidens old Men with Children if men will have the Records of Scripture the Characters of the Word of God out of date let them professe all these to be out of date and void of that vertue relation motion and operation which God at the first placed in them and gave unto them Yea let them professe that their places offices and stations they stand in to be out of date and of no use a marrying and giving in marriage procreation of Children or of any Creature with their eating drinking sleeping labour and rest let all these be dead out of date unto them if the Characters of the word be out of use yea their own thoughts and motions of their minds for the word of God as spoken of all men saith the word is nigh unto thee even in thy heart and in thy mouth Rom. 10. 8. and saith the Apostle this is the word of saith which we preach that is our Ministry is nothing else but an opening of that Husk or Character written upon your own thoughts and words that you may participate of the strength life and substance contained therein which otherwise is a dead and killing letter yea the savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 3. 6. 2 Cor. 2. 16. 2 Cor. 3. 7 -11 Those therefore that deny a like vertue and power to be in the letter of the Scripture or Character of the word of God that ever was at any time from the beginning such men are false Interpreters of the word of God and alike adversaries to Christ and his salvation as these against whom all these woes are denounced and do appertain unto them as their proper right and justly purchased inheritance for the word of God in the letter of it is more firmly imprinted than in being blotted with Ink upon Paper therefore our Apostle affirms that it is graven upon stony Tables of the heart as well as the Law of the spirit is upon the flâ—shy Tables of the heart for they are both to remain in their proper places 2 Cor.
3. 7. though the Letter or ministry of condemnation be done away in the Saints yet it abides in the wicked for unto this day when Moses is Read the Veil of separation is upon their heart 2 Cor. 3. 15. only in such as turn in unto the Lord in the holy place with Moses in them the Veil is taken away Exod. 34 34. We conclude then that the true Character of the word of God is the whole work of God in the visible Creation in their severalâ— natures relations motions and operations wherein stands firm and stable the reall Character of the word of God which becomes unto man the true end and scope thereof either a Minister of condemnation or a Minister of salvation as the spirit of Cain or Abel makes use thereof in bringing unto God a heavenly and earthly Sacrifice Gen. 4. 4. 5. Let these men therefore prove all things in Heaven and in Earth to be worn out of date of no use nor benefit one unto another otherwise the letter of the Scripture shall stand firm unto this day and the vertue and power of the spirit of the Scriptures which is the proper spirit of God in Christ Iesus in that way of his salvation shall only be out of date and not in present use and exercise in these men who deny the use of the letter of the Scriptures There is another generation of interpreters who are of the same spirit of these Antiscripturians though they cry out against such grosse opinions for Satans Kingdome is divided in it self and therefore cannot stand but is in a continued act of apostatizing and falling away from God and these are such as hold and teach that some part of the word of God is out of date and not in p esent use as the Leviticall and Iudiciall laws as they call them likewise that some part of the word of God is not yet ripened and so not come into present being and use as the perfecting of the sound of the seventh Trumpet and the fulfilling of divers Prophecâ—es which foretell of peaceable and glorious times and states which say they were never yet accomplished as the new Ierusalem coming down from God with her glorious foundations wals gates form and furniture which these men never yet saw to appear Rev. 21. These Interpreters are reall Antiscripturians for he that denyes any part of the word of God to be in present use as a thing too old or yet not grown into present use and vertue that man denies the fulnesse and perfection of the word of God and he that denies the fulnesse of the word of God he also denies the fulnesse of Christ and it is all one to say something in the Son of God is out of date and too old to be in present use and also that something in Christ is not yet come into ripenesse and present use concerning that salvation that is by him alone these men look upon the word of God with the same eye that the carnall Iews beheld Christ who sought to kill him because he said he was the Son of God Mat. 26. 63 -66 no doubt but these men would say in like manner if they heard the word of God rightly and faithfully opened this man blasphemes because he saith this is the word of God Ioh. 10. 36. for if the sum of the whole word and law of God be not so brought in in every Scripture as to give Christ a perfect and present form and being therein it is not truly and faithfully interpreted whether it be in Moses or any of the Prophets it speaks the things that concern Christ himself Luke 24. 27. who is the perfect Son of God that Immanuel in what respect or relation so ever he appears Mat. 1. 23. for there is a fulnesse in every law as well as the law of love and he that breaks one command all are included in that breach Iames 2. 10. We see here that the Son of God charges Ierusalem to be the ground and mother of false Interpreters as one that by law falsely expounding Moses kils the Prophets he finds their legislative Assembly to be the Author thereof and therefore bends his speech for the repeal and abrogation thereof which he attains in all them who are of Ierusalem that is above and in none else of what rank soever in the eyes of the world which abolishing of the Law is this namely that all humane and temporary institutions and commands lose their force and authority in the Kingdom of God for all humane laws in their proper intent is to set one man in authority over another which are all countermanded in every true Beleever by that law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus for whether it be right in the fight of God to obey men rather than God judge ye Act. 4. 19. yet doth not this hinder a Christians obedience to humane authority only makes it voluntary according to that free and royall law under which he is Iames 2. 8. 1 Pet. 2. 9. otherwise if he were in bondage to one he were in bondage to all of the same kind and then must obey the order established wherever he comes yea if it were to fall down to Nebuchadnezzars Idol Dan. 3. 1 -18 and every law that concerns mankind must be either humane or divine and all temporary institutions are humane because they spring from humane reason and are under that bond for performance for humane reason can require no more but what it can devise and invent but divine laws or that law of Faith hath the spirit of Christ in it which is the proper moulder and constituter thereof which spirit s eternall and the only bond for the performance thereof which no other law whatsoever can supercede countermand or intrench upon the authority thereof Observe that in the ground of all Law there are two Tables considerable that is not only the Letter and the Spirit but also Kingdome and Priesthood and thence it is said The Lord said to my Lord sit on my right hand Psalm 110. 1. for there is a Lordship on the right hand in both and they are never separated in Christ but ever subsist and exist in the power and royalty of faith 1 Pet. 2. 9. Exod. 19. 6. even as they were both found in that one Melchizedek King of Salem Priest of the most high God Gen. 14. 18. Heb. 7. 1. And whatsoever is in a capacity to be presented as an acceptable thing to one of these is fit for the other therefore when the Priests offered the lame the blind the sick and imperfect Sacrifices the Prophet bids them go to the Ruler or Governour and see whether he will be well pleased with it or accept the person of such as so offer Mal. 1. 8. implying that what is brought unto the Priest and what is brought unto the King ought to be of like value perfection and consideration so that these Tables of Kingly and Priestly
Iewes and Grecians Christ is the power of God and the wisdome of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. and thence it is that our faith stands not in the wisdome of men or any thing that they can transfuse or instill but in the power of God 1. Cor. 2. 5. which is one and the same in whomsoever it appears 4 Fourthly the Hen hovereth upon her Chickens for their nourishment and increase that they may attain to her stature and ability Even so doth the wisdome God brood upon his saints that they may come unto a perfect man unto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Ephes 4. 13. Therefore it is said that the Saints increase with the increasinâ—s of God Collos 2. 19. Now wee know that the Holy One dwells not it temples made with hands for the heavens of heavens cannot contain him 2 Chro. 6 18. No more is he subject to increase or diminution therefore perfected at once and for ever in all his demensions and operations whatsoever his increasings are that bountiful flowing forth and issuing out of his Spirit in the variety of his operations and revelations springing from that inexhaustible Fountain in Christ that Store-house and Treasury of them all 5 Fiftly the Hen broods upon her Chickens to save them from harm of storm and tempest or birds of prey which otherwise they are Lyable unto Even so the wisdome of God hovers upon his Saints to save them from danger Isaiah 45. 6. Psal 91. 1. even the cruell stormes and tempestuous gusts of the Devil who goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom hee may devour 1 Peter 5. 8. who though he come in against the Saints as a flood yet shall this spirit and wisdome of the Lord lift up a standard aganst him to chase him away Isay 59. 19. And this is the onely safety of the Saints who otherwise are in continuall danger even as a Sparrow upon the house top Psal 102. 7. who watcheth alone for if shee fall upon the earth there is the Fowlers snare and if she abide upon the rooff of the house she is subjct to birds of pray So are the saints of God if it were not for this wisdom and Word of God rightly interpreted that watcheth over them for it they look down to the inferiour and more grosse things of this life there is a snare hid in every thing to catch us with vain hopes and expectations to be inriched and exalted by them in case we can but heap them up together and make the best of them and if wee look up at the principalities and powers of the world we are ready to be devoured and swallowed up by them if this wisdome move not upon us as the spirit brooded upon the waters in the beginning to preserve them in purity that they corrupt not as we see they are in motion unto this day for that purpose in their ebbings and flowings Nay if we look down to mans sin fall from God and imperction in all things we are ready to bee insnared with doubts and feares and discontentments with our own condition and if we look up unto that happie and blessed estate of man in Christ we are Ready to wax proud arrogant and wanton in the things of God if this wisdom of God do not brood and flutter upon us and watch over us that his power may prevent all inconveniences that otherwise would fall upon us Psal 77. 10. This wisdom and Word of God is our onely strength and help in the true interpretation thereof and without that there is no proper power or help of God at all as is formerly noted therefore it is said thou hast advanced thy Word over all thy Name or upon all thy Name or Authority and power Psalm 138. 2. So it is said that the mercy of the Lord is over all his works Psalm 145. 9. or upon all his works That is there is not a work of God in Heaven or in Earth but there is a stamp and impression of the mercy of God upon it with respect unto the Saints of God yea every work of God is a Monument or Remembrancer of Gods mercy unto them See an epitomee or breviary hereof Psalm 136. 1 -26 where the Spirit of God impresseth the mercy of God upon his works six and twenty severall times Even So the Lord hath magnified his Word upon all his Name or his authority and power that is there is no power and authority of God but that which his Word in the true interpretation thereof invests into it is that and that onely which sets up and maintaines Gods Name and Authority in all things whatsoever and without the true interpretation of the Word of God his Name is not magnificall in the heart of any man likewise there is nothing whereby the power of Satan is advanced in the world but onely the false interpretation of the Word of God neither is there any contention among the sons of men besides that contending for the common salvation by faith once given unto the Saints Jude 3. But it ariseth from a mistake and false interpreting of the Word of God for it is at unity with it self where in whomsoever it is truly acknowledged We Conclude then that it is Word of God which is the wisdome of God that is the proper wing of God under which the Saints are gathered which false interpreters refuse to come under 5 Which is the fift point in order And that is their unnaturall deniall but ye would not Not that the wickednesse and destruction of man depends onely upon the will of a creature simply considered but it depends upon the law of the flesh or the word of a carnall commandment that is the word of God falsly interpreted Neither doth Salvation depend upon the meer will of an Eternall God simply considered but it depends upon the Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus which is that word or wisdome of God rightly opened and interpreted else doth not Salvation consist only in Christ Iesus who is God and Man as the wisdome of God affirms it doth Acts 4. 11 12. And this is the Stone cast aside by you builders which is become the head of the Corner Neither is there Salvation in any other for among men there is given none other name under heaven whereby we must be saved Mat. 1. 21. 1 This denyall of being gathered into unity by Christ therefore is the voice of a law which wicked men are under in way of Hagar the bond woman which speaks effectually in way of negation to every point expressed in the metaphor taken from the Hen and her Nest or Chickens that is we will not have the Nest to bee one in originall and off-spring that is God and man making one inâ—ire Condition in all and every Saint of God in the point of time place and individuall subsistence for the Spirit of God in the soul of man in every operation of a
think they shall escape the wiles and power of the Devill when the arm of flesh fails them whereby they seek to defend themselves for the present sure they think their God will be grown to more power and care over them in and after death or else they will be loath to passe through it but I leave them and in Spirit cleave unto him as being in you who is ever the same allsufficient In whom I am yours Samuel Gorton A Copy of a Letter from the Men called Quakers The Superscription For our Friend Samuel Gorton this deliver Friend IN that measure which we have received which is eternall we see thee and behold thee and have onenesse with thee in that which is meek and low and is not of this world but bears witnesse against the world that the wayes and works thereof are evill and in that 〈…〉 spirit we salute thee and owns that of God 〈…〉 is waiting for and expecting the raising 〈…〉 is unâ—er the Earth and in the Grave groâ—niâ—g â—or the removing of the stone which the wise professors hath and doth lay upon that it might not come forth but the time is come and coming for the Angell of his presence to take away that which hinders that the Prisoner may come forth and arise to the glory of him who is raised up to the glory of the Father and hath overcome Hell and Death and all the powers of darknesse and is a spreading his name forth to the nds of the Earth and hath sounded his Trumpet in these parts also and is a beginning his war with Ameleke and the Philistins and Egyptians in this part of the world who are set and setting themselves against the Lord in this the day of his mighty power wherein he will exalt the horn of his annointed and bring down all the fat Kine and Buls of Bashan whose eyes are ready to start out with rage and madnesse against that which is become as a burthensome stone amongst them and is that stone which will break all their imaginaries to peeces and shall become a great mountain which shall bring down the stout hearts of the Kings of Assyria and all their high looks and levell their mountains of wisdome and knowledge and dry up the tongue of the Egyptian Sea and shall make way for the ransomed of the Lord to come to Sion with joy and gladnesse being redeemed from Kindreds Nations Tongues and People by the blood of Iesus which is spirit and life in all those that obey the light which from the life doth come for the life is the light of men and whosoever beleeves in the light which they are inlightned with shall not abide in darknesse but shall have the light of life which light we have obeyed in coming into these parts and we do witnesse the life in the measure given to us whereby we are enabled to encounter with Principalities and Powers and wickednesse in high places and can deny the world and the glory of it and take up his Crosse dayly and follow him in which we witnesse the power of God whereby the World is crucified unto us and us unto the World and in that in â—ur measure we deny our selves and can wait in the eternall counsell which is out of time manifested in time not being hasty but let the Lord alone to do his own worke in â—is own vvay and there can sit down in our rest which is his will and when he moves us then we go and do his will in his power and when he clouds we stand still waiting for the removing of the Cloud and so we know when to journey and when not and herein are we aâ— rest when our Adversaries are in trouble and in Egyptian darknesse sitted and prepared for destruction which assurealy must fall upon them from the God of 〈◊〉 Friend the Lord hath drawn forth our hearts to this place in much love knowing in the light that he hath a great seed among you though scattered up and down and are as sheep without a shepherd and you are travelling from Mountain to Hill in your wisedome and imaginations the resting place being not yet known nor cannot be known by the highest wisdome of the world but in the deniall of it for there is something underneath which is not nor cannot be satisfied with all the divings into the mystery of things declared in the Scriptures of truth which is the man of Gods portion and was given to that to profit withall that it might be throughly furnished to every good word and work but this is too low a thing for those which are high in their wisdome and knowledge which they can hardly stoop unto that is to become fools that they may be wise that the pure wisdome may dwell with them for evermore But the Lord is come and coming â—o lovell the Mountains and to rend the Rocks of wisdome and knowledge and to exalt that which is low and foolish to the wisdome of the world and blessed shalt thou and all those be who meets him in this his work which he is doing in the Earth and in this place wherein thou now dwellest in setting up the King the Lord of Hosts to reign in righteousness for his tabernacle shall be among men and he vvill dwell in them and vvalk in them and he will be their God and they shall be his people from henceforth even for ever Now to that which thou writes to us to know our minds to stay in these parts â—e are unwilling to go out of these parts if here we could be suffered to stay but we are willing to mind the Lord what way he will take for our staying and if he in wisdome shall raise thee up and others for that end we shall â—e willing to accept of it but what the Master of the Ship will do in the thing we know not they indeaveuring to force him to to enter into bond of 500l to set us ashoar in England which he did at first refuse for which they sent him to prison without Bail and Mainprize as we are informed but since he doth proffer his own bond but they will not at present accept it without security b sides to be bound with him for they are affraid that we should be set ashoar in these parts again therefore they make their Bond as strong as they can but the Lord knows away to break their bonds asunder The Master hath been writ unto and warned that he should not enter into bond which if he did not it would be as a Crown of honor upon his head but if he doth the Lord knows how to defeat themand him too Now what he doth is out of a slavish fear because he would not lie in prison and hinder his voyage but if the bond hinder him not he would have been willing to have delivered us and we should have been willing to have satisfied him which we did proffer him and if he be not
hindred the Ship will be ready to set sayl about fourteen dayes hence but at present the Master doth not know what to doe their demands being so unjust to force him to carry us and they not to â—ay him for it nor we shall not and yet will not take hiâ— own 〈◊〉 but will have security besides so that hâ— and they are troubled with a burthensome stone the Ark of God doth afflict them send it away they would but yet they are not agreed what to do with it so we shall leave thee to be guided by that wisedome which governs all men and things â—ccording to the counsell of his own vvill and bringeth his purposes to passe by vvhom and in vvhom he pleaseth From the Servanâ—s and Messengers of the Lord vvhom he hath sent and brought by the arm of his power into these parts of the Word for vvhich vve suffer bonds and close imprisonment none suffered to speake or confer vvith us nor scarce to see us being locked up in the inward prison as the Gaoler pretends because vve do not deliver our Ink-horns although he hath taken away three from us already and vvill not suffer us to burn our owne Candles but takes them away from us because vve shall not vvrite in the night though vve are strangers to thee and others in this place yet seen and knowne in the light yet known in the World by these Names From the Common Gaol in Boston this 28 of the seventh 1656. William Brend Thomas Thurston Christop Holder Iohn Copeland Post We and all the rest of friends with us remember their love to thee and if thou hast freedome let us heare from thee Barwick in the Nanhyganset-Bay this prefone Octob 6. 1656. The Superscription To the Strangers suffering imprisonment in Boston for the name of Christ these with trust present in Massachusets Loving Friends WE have thankfully received your late and loving Letters but are informed that since the penning of them the Master of the Ship is ingaged with two of Boston bound with him to set you ashoar in England so that we perceive God hath diverted our desired designe we doubt not but for the best in a further discovery of that spirit so wickedly bent to hinder if it were possible the fruitfull progresse of the grace of the Gospell and it may be the name given unto you we know not upon what ground may come through an unalterable appointment to be the naturall practice of such as so deal with you when the terrours of the Almighty shall take hold of them And we are glad to see the waters move for then we know that spirit stirs which brooded upon them in the beginning and the Angell troubleth them unto healing but it is only of such as first step in after the troubling or moving of them which must be he who first lookes out from the early morning seeing in the first light that ever shined in that day which springs from on high who is endued with strength sufficient to put himself in without help of any other besides himself for there is none but the first begotten of the dead that can participate in this cure yet we know also how to cure the lame and impotent who hath no strength nor abilitie at all in himself to move towards the waters but only waits for help from another and therefore perceives how all come to be cured before him but the of word salvation passing upon him retains its healing and creating vertue from the beginning and is no lesse healthful in the last than in the first for they are one Yea he is not only the root bâ—t the branch or off-spring of David also the secret mystery of God hid from the world from the foundation thereof effectually moves the waters and a mighty worke done doth visibly appear to all men in uttering the word of salvation beyond the reach and capacity of all carnall Jews who are angry thereat seeking to take away the life and light of the Author of it who never appeareth but they find their Sabbath broken their power impaired or one or other of their carnal laws of sin death cries out in them as being violated as by him that coms to torment them before the time so that in the visibility of him who is invisible we rejoyce with Moses and fear not the wrath of the King In that you say that in the spirit of meeknesse and lowlinesse out of much love you came into these parts such a spirit we can thankfully imbrace knowing that it is the Spirit of the Redeemer who is meek in the losse of all humane and worldly helps without the least murmuring or grudging not opening his mouth in the language of the world in any thing whatsoever Also lowly submitting unto the spirit and will of the Father in whom or in whomsoever it appeareth the Spirit of the loving and loyall Spouse never admits of any divorse in that espousall but in all things submits unto and obeys Abraham and cals him And whosoever doth not become as a little child cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven But we know also that he who comes meek and lowly he comes so therein as he saves himself which is the part of a Victor and Conquerour and the prudent and diligent woman or Spouse clothes her Husband and Family with Scarlet her Husband is known in the Gate when he sitteth among the Elders by her industry yea the heart of her Husband doth safely trust in her so as he fears no spoil and whoso becomes as a child is greatest in the Kingdome of Heaven for in the mouths of Babes and Sucklings God hath ordained and founded his strength And in us a Child is born in us a Son is given but the government is upon his shoulder and he is called Wonderfull Counseller the mighty God t e everlasting Father the Prince of Peace so that whereever this lowly and meek Spirit is there is also the Spirit of that Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah and the Lord thereby shall roar out of Zion and utter his voice from Ierusalem and the Heavens and the Earth shall shake but the Lord is the hope of his people and the strength of the Children of Israel True lowlyness of spirit and the loftiest minde that ever was are never separated for these twain are made one so as never to be separated no more than a child in point of all humane abilities and the antient of daies shall For as we receive the Kingdom of Heaven as a little child so we are never otherwise in the same respect which we know no wisdom humane serpentine or upon principles properto a creature can ever yeeld unto or finde out And therefore we are fooles unto the world being bereaved of all their principles in regard of any exercise of them according to their proper intent in any of our designs Our wisdom consults not upon any of their principles our judgement determines not according
doe all things through Christ who strengthens him for we dare not deny him to be set in heavenly places in Christ yea at the right hand of power and therefore sits at the stearn of the world layes hold on the helm and governs the ship to guide it unto its appointed haven A Christian is stil saying let there be light and it is so he shall ever divide the light from the darknes the waters that are above the firmament from the waters that are below the out-spread firmament In a word he is forever to form all things out of that antient Chaos of God and Man being made one which is a formless confusion unto the highest topped-up pinacles of the wisdome of this world but onely as they beat out a tract unto themselves through the Schools of mens policies and traditions But a Christian knows how to adorn that world whereof Christs Kingdome doth consist with all those glorious ornaments of that new heaven and earth wherein righteousness and peace dwels for ever where sin and sorrow fly away and that out of the antient Chaos that abides for ever and it is his glory and perpetuated work in God as also his rest from all the works of darkness and death to give every thing a right and due form and an effectual nature and name or authority according thereunto placing them in their proper relations and giving them their operations in the propagating and promoting of the glory of God And this is a labour which for ever beseems the honour and dignity of a Son of God who will never be disrobed of his creating virtue as to admit a cessation thereof no more than he can lay aside the glory of his power to preserve order and govern his kingdom And this work or labour hath the rest of God intayled and is never out of conjunction therewith which is a day of rest or cessation from all operations of that evill one yea it is a Sabbath or as the word signifies an Host or Army not bounded by evening and morning for it admits not of any period in the one nor in the other for neither beginning nor end thereof can be found out And this rest and labour are of the same duration and continuance else were a Christian utterly undone but God hath made him Lord in or of this Sabbath for ever whilst the carnal Jew even those amongst whom you are are in bondage under their Sabbath for it Lords it over them which they have set up as a God of time as they have their Gods of creatures and bodily exercises and this they fall down and kneel unto as a God of four and twenty hours continuance Wee know the Word of the Lord hath been amongst them and they have rejected it which makes them so carefull to guard themselves against you having felt the fury thereof as a savour of death unto them If you expect a feed of God among them take heed it prove not of the God of this world that seed of the serpent Some of them may seem to commiserate people in prison or in some want or outward necessity which is the top of their Religion to bee of that compassion which Peter seems to express when he said Master pittie thy self let not this come upon thee not judging rightly but fatanically of the Cross of Christ than the which there is nothing else that a Christian gloryes in and desires as it is that Baptism wherewith he is baptized which in desiring he still desires in the accomplishing of it as really as hee that sits upon the white horse goeth forth conquering and to conquer for if the Fountain of every thing in Christ were not inexhaustible heaven should have an end salvation ceased for there is nothing in Christ wherein salvation doth not consist and that for ever And to preach or profess Christ otherwise falsifies the Gospel and makes the faith of the Son of God of no effect We conclude then that labour and rest harmonize and kiss each other in the Kingdom of God consisting so in one that they shall never be parted without demolishing of that work wherein God himself is one not onely as a maker but is made Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption in that mystical body of Christ which workmanship and Masterpeece of Gods Wisdom and Skil is onely abolished in the men of the world and ever was from the beginning for the wicked are estranged from the womb but in the Saints it never was nor shall be impaired for they are a congregation of the firstlings of God which abide for ever Whereas you please to say Wee are vvandring from mountain to hill in our imaginations seeking rest but knovv not the place thereof Indeed it is true we know not that rest which the world ever seeks after in that way of the unclean spirit which goes out of the man of sin seeking it in barren and dry places which are altogether destitute of the dews of heaven that are the waterings of Zion and of that Riveret which refrâ—sheth the City of God But that rest which the Son of God attains and betakes himself unto in his labour of love in the ending of all carnal operations of soul that rest which yet remains for the people of God as to enter into being daily as really renewed as our Apostle protests he dies daily although it be that which we have entred into from the beginning being of an eternall rise as all things proper to the Son of God are who however it be true that he is a man yet that which makes him to be such a man is of God and not of the creature and that in all things yea death it self in Christ is not the death of a meer creature or a momentany death but it is the eternal death of the Son of God for what Christ is or doth once it abides such for ever and otherwise no truth of the Gospel appears This rest therefore we seek as diligently as the woman sought her lost groat and by sweeping that vast house of God of all uncleannes and superfluous things which cannot be done but by carrying them into their proper place in which place of uncleanness we see what the loss of all the things of God as wealth and glory is which wealth and honour of God we find through our own emptiness of all superfluous things of man which continued and eternal act of loss of the Sonne of God in the world is a perpetual renewed joy in the finding of him in our selves which joy and rest wee wait for to come in our selves everlastingly as really as wee have the present possession thereof and see our selves in it also from everlasting with respect to time past for wee judge not no not of our selves according to mans judgement but according to the account and judgement of God And for our imaginations they are such as we can give a like good and certain account of
them in all particulars and upon as reall and substantiall grounds as we can give for the appearing of the day and succeeding of the night or as we can give the reason why we eat why we drink why we sleep marry and give in marriage without which things man can neither multiply nor tarry upon the face of the Earth and we know the nature of all things that God reveals unto us as well as we know the nature of the fire by putting a finger into it either the things of Satan in that body of sin as we dye unto it and it is dead to us or the things of God in Christ as we live to them and they live in us and such are our imaginations And for our wandring from Mountain to Hill we do professe our selves to be gone from that rigid and mountainous power and pride of Pharaoh under which in a Figure you now are three dayes journey a perfect and perpetuall departure therefrom into that Wildernesse that is waylesse of the tracts of Pharaoh and his Host else we had not come to Sinai or Horeb that hill of God where he calls us up to converse with him in the height of his own Son where we meekly receive that law of the spirit in the laver of the People yea that fiery law that borns up all combustible and corruptible matter in us purifying and trying our faith as silver is tryed in the fire We also are gone from that Mount with the Ark of God and law therein three dayes journey to seek a resting place for the Ark which is a perfect and perpetuall removall from the place of the giving and receiving the law of the flesh the earnall commandement in all the terrours fears effects and operations thereof or else we had never come to Mount Zion the Hill which God doth love and where he will dwell for ever where glorious things are spoken in that City of God for in Iudah is God known his name is great in Israel at Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Zion and there he breaks the Arrowes of the Bow the Shield and the Sword and the Battel Selah Yea there is he more glorious and puissant than the Mountains of prey even than all the Host of Sennacâ—arib which compasse about Ierusalem thinking to make a prey and a booty thereof but it becomes a heavy stone and a cup of trembling beyond all their expectations unto them Whereas you say the meek and lowly Spirit is not of this World but bears vvitnesse against it we freely own it so to be and that you bear vvitnesse also unto the life in the measure given you vvhich is eternall and therefore seems to be immeasurable for he receives not the spirit by measure we do heartily rejoyce in any that God stirs up to testifie to his truth inthat verity of his word and life and light of his Son which is to us as lise from the dead knowing it to be as honourable an office as ever a Saint can attain unto to be that faithful and true witnesse only found in the Son of God who only is an eye and ear witness of all the doings of the father and therfore he only can give true testimony and a just account of them which we count to be as great a Crown and royall diadem unto our selves to hear as to be inabled to speak thereof and therefore can freely suffer our own eclipse for ever so that the splendent brightnesse of that Sun of righteousnesse may break forth and have its proper place seat and course being made marvelous in his Saints even in all that beleeve so as it may be said with admiration suitable to such an Aspect Who is this that looks forth as the morning fair as the Moon cleer as the Sun terrible as an Army with Banners A true witnesse is truly honourable being one who only can give true testimony of the state of all things so as true judgement passeth to give every thing its due without which there is no righteousnesse on the Earth He only can witnesse against the world concerning the nature of their act in crucifying the Lord of glory whom they know not for they that know him never do it and onely they which can witnesse what it is to take away and destroy such a life and to put out such a light they only can witnesse what that light and life is in all such in whom it appears namely what the eternall and everlasting Sonship is which is that which is in time as well as that which is eternall which being gathered into one by that spirit of eternity it is made one state or incorporation wherein all the severall and various relations therein consist of and are become a spiritual and an eternal law which gives unto it self an orderly being and form in all its operations which operations offices are known onely by that name which is writ upon them which is that particular power and authority they carry in them and expresse and this is such as none can read but himself and he is called the Word of God which word is the law of the spirit of life and this life is the light of men and this light gives a true form unto all things which it testifies unto therefore it is said by the Lord unto Iob Hast thou commanded the morning since thy dayes or caused the day-spring to know his place that it might take hold of the ends of the Earth that the wicked may be shaken out of it it is turned as clay to the Seal and they stand as a garment but from the wicked their light is with-holden and the high arm shall be broken So that this true light lights us up to see the Son of God as being of twain made one for in what respect soever he appears there is a true relation considerable in it or else it is not that Son of God the Saviour or salvation of the world for he is of twain made one new man in which is the Vnity as also the fellowship of the Gospell in all things for there is nothing in Christ without its proper relative and without relation the word or law of God is not as in creation the thing made as well as the thing making in knowledge the thing known in love the thing beloved in a Father the respect to a Son in a Husband the respect to a wife which gives to each other their proper being so as if one cease the relative ceaseth also from being such So that if I witnesse to the Son word light life Law or peace of God I must witnesse unto the being of such a thing that such a thing it is as also to the manner of its being how it comes to be such a thing together with its necessary and proper operations which must inevitably accompany such a manner of being with the comprehensions extensions of such operations and motion or