from another and what James saith c. 1. v. 17. Every good and perfect gift cometh from above Yet by the words of Christ in the parable it is plain that some improved the Talents they had received and some improved not their Talent Matth. 25. And Israel was cast off of God for their not improving their day of grace Matthew 23.37 Rom. 4.11,12,13 And he received the Sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had yet being uncircumcised that he might be the father of all them that believe tho' they be not circumcised that righteousness might be imputed unto them also And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the Circumcision only but also walk in the steps of that faith of our Father Abraham which he had being yet uncircumcised For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed thro' the Law but thro' the righteousness of Faith Now what was the steps of that Faith that our Father Abraham walkt in being uncircumcised It was that he staggered not at the promise of God but believed that he should have it according to the word of the Lord in the way of his obedience that he thereby should be made the Father of many Nations and heir of the world which carried him thro' all difficulties and caused him to tread in the steps of Righteousness according as the Lord required of him Gen. 17,1,2 I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect And I will make my Covenant between me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly These words shew that God required of Abraham his sincere obedience that thereby he might be the heir of this promise Accordingly St. Paul saith verse 13. For the promise that he shoulld be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law but through the righteousness of faith Which was through the righteousness which this his faith produc'd the which Circumcision was afterward given him as a Seal of this his righteousness by faith And whether circumcised or uncircumcised whosoever treads in the steps of our Father Abraham in looking for the performance of the promise in the way of their obedience shall also become heirs of life Rom 4.14,15,16 For if they which are of the Law be heirs faith is made void and the promise made of none effect because the Law worketh wrath for where no Law is there is no transgression Therefore it is of faith that it might be of grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed not to that only which is of the Law but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham who is the Father of us all Now the Law expected the perfect performance of the thing required before they could become justified by it but then under the Law through mercy they that did render their sincere obedience thereunto it was accepted of them so as they had the Righteousness of Christ imputed to them for their Justification But hereby it sheweth that Justification was not to be attained by the Law but that Justification and Righteousness is to be attained by Faith that draws out the heart in love to God and Christ with an assent to yield obedience to him Such are made partakers of his grace and so by the Righteousness of Christ become justified And where this complying frame of spirit is it was and is the seed to whom the promise belongs whether under the Law or Gospel and unto such as these that tread in Abraham's steps he is a Father For all are his servants to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness Rom. 6.16 Rom. 4.21,22 And he being fully persuaded that what God hath promised he was able to perform And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness That is Abraham was fully persuaded that God was able to perform what he had promised him which drew out his heart to yield that obedience which God required of him He thus believing it was imputed to him for righteousness And whereas the Apostle saith verse 23,24,25 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification That is if we believe in him that raised up our Lord from the dead that the purchased Salvation by Christ is to be imputed according as he in his Word hath declared and so accordingly we lay hold of the promise of Life then Christ was delivered for our offences as well as for theirs and likewise rose again for our Justification as well as theirs if we according as these Romans had done to whom he wrote have obeyed from the heart the Doctrine of the Gospel then also we by Christ are made free from the condemning power of sin and are become the servants of Righteousness Rom. 6.17,18 But we are no sooner set clear from the condemning power of sin by the free grace of God purchased by the Blood of his Son but we are immediately thereupon listed Souldiers of Christ to fight under his Banner against the World the Flesh and the Devil and all our corrupt Affections and Inclinations and bringing down every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 Chap. III. The Election of the first Churches EPhes 2.8,9,10 For by Grace are ye saved thro' Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of works lest any man should boast For we are his Workmanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them By these words the Apostle also clearly sheweth that by good works standing alone without the merits of Christ no man can be justified in his sight And therefore all boasting is taken away from man in the sight of God But whereas he saith in v. 10. For we are his Workmanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Here the Apostle hath his peculiar reference to the first Churches who were brought out of darkness sin and errour And as he saith in verse 12. Ye were without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenant of Promise having no hope and without God in the World Now at that time God did not only abound in his mercy towards them of the first Churches in all wisdom and prudence Ephes 5.8 in shewing his mighty power in them and in calling them as the Apostle saith out of darkness into his marvelous light 1 Pet. 2.9 and thereby bringing over the consent of their wills to his Laws he did then freely justifie them by his grace but also when God had done this
contrary Gen. 6.5,6 Jer. 18.8,9,10 Ezek. 18.22,23,24,25 And whereas St Paul saith Titus 1.2 In hopes of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began His meaning here was no other than that God promised eternal life before the world began in which they were to receive it Which world is the world to come in which all they that obey him are promised eternal life I have also fully proved by the word in another Treatise that is to come forth that it was after the fall of Adam that the decree was made that the entrance into life should be made strait and how that straitness doth consist Chap. XX Chosen from the foundation and before the foundation explained I Have in the fore-mentioned Book by the word fully proved what is meant by being Chosen from the foundation of the world And also proved that in the word there is mention made of three evers three times three generations three worlds and that there was none chosen before the foundation of the material Heavens and Earth That these three worlds spoken of in Scripture are three worlds of people First that which sprang from Adam Secondly that which sprang from the Seed of Noah And thirdly That the foundation of the world to come was laid in the seed of Abraham when God brought them out of Aegypt and laid them for the foundation of the world to come For all that comes in Heirs to that world comes in as the Seed of Abraham from the foundation of which world was Christ figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb. And from that foundation of the world was the works of those unbelieving Jews finished when they thro' their unbelief refused to go to fight for the land of Canaan therefore were condemned to die in the wilderness from 20 years old and upward save Caleb and Joshua And then after this miscarriage God elected and secured a remnant in Christ of that foundation which was then a laying in Israel for the world to come But for Israel's miscarriage God did likewise elect and make choice of the first Gentile Churches to partake of the Holy Ghost and God chose them before the body of Israel which were the foundation of the world to come And therefore the Apostle Paul saith They were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world That is before the body of Israel who were the foundation of the World to come And this not as to matter of time but as to matter of choice and liking in God rather to appoint and make choice of them that ignorantly offend him to call them in by a particular calling and give to them with the remnant the Holy Ghost that they thereby might bear their testimony to the world of the truth of the Gospel rather than those of Israel that did wilfully rebel and would not be a light to the world All these things are fully and clearly proved in the other Treatise with the hardning of Pharaoh's heart And what it was God hardned him in Shewing that it was not in sin and cruelty but for his sin and cruelty God hardened him in unbelief so as he should not believe the miracles done by Moses to come from God And therefore he followed them into the Red Sea where he and his Army were destroyed And therein also is shewed what is the meaning of being before of old ordained to this condemnation Now there was none of the Apostles that were Scholars but St. Paul And to understand some part of his Epistles has been more difficult than all the writings of the rest of the Apostles And according to the saying of St. Peter many poor Souls have wrested them to their own Destruction Chap. XXI The Call to the Eternal Inheritance explained ST Paul saith Heb. 9.15,16 That they which are called might receive the promise of the eternal Inheritance This he does not only speak of them that had the peculiar calling as the remnant chosen from among Israel and of the first Gentile Churches which were likewise chosen to bear their Testimony to the truth But these words had also a reference to all Israel who were all called and unto whom the promises belong'd and to their Children So the promises belonged to them that were called of the Gentile Churches and their Children And unto all to whom the word of God shall come accompanied with the good motions of the Spirit of God to them likewise does the promise of the Eternal Inheritance belong if they according to the condition as it is tendred will lay hold of it And whosoever continues faithful shall at the end have the fruition of the eternal inheritance that was promised upon those conditions Acts 10.35 For in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him And it was the Gentile Nations that Abraham had the promise from God to be Father to Rom. 4.17 And when the Gentile Nations were called in it was then God made good his word to Abraham and then did the promise belong to them and their Children as it did to Israel and their Children So as they might receive the promise of the Eternal Inheritance upon the conditions offered Now the first Gentile Churches were not only called that they might receive the promise of the Eternal Inheritance but they had also the Holy Ghost given to them as the earnest of that Inheritance which afterwards they should receive if they did not disinherit themselves And to their Children that followed after them did the promise of the Eternal Inheritance belong But at the time that any Nation or people have not the Gospel at that time they have not the call At which time the promise of Eternal Inheritance belongs not to them Yet they are not excluded all mercy But where the word of God is as the call thereof is rightly understood there it is where the eternal Life may be laid hold on But such as by often sinning have caused God to withdraw the good motions of his Spirit from them they are thereby left to blindness of mind And as God was with the natural Seed of Abraham till they by often sinning caused him to withdraw from them So God was with the Nations of the adopted Seed of Abraham till such time as by often sinning they caused God to with-draw from them and leave them to strong delusions to believe lies 2 Thess 2.10,11,12 Chap. XXII The Gifts and Callings of God explained ST Paul saith Rom. 11.29 The Gifts and Callings of God are without Repentance That is according to the conditions upon which God calls them they are without Repentance from him But by the disobedience of many that have been called the call has proved uneffectual to them to the saving of their Souls Therefore St. Paul saith He kept under his body lest that by any means when he had preached to others he himself should be a cast-away 1 Cor. 9.27 And he never declared himself to be sure
That which sprang from Adam Secondly That which spâ—ing from the seed of Noah Thirdly That the foundation of the World to come was laid in the seed of Abraham when God brought them out of Egypt and laid them for the foundation of the World to come and all that comes in heirs to that World comes in as the seed of Abraham and from the foundation of that World Christ was figuratively slain in the Paschal Lamb and from the foundation of that World was the works of those unbelieving Jews finished when they through their unbelief refused to go to fight for the Land of Canaan And then after this their miscarriage God Elected and Secured a certain Remnant in Christ of that foundation which was then a laying in Israel for the world to come V. It is likewise proved That there was no Election thorough the old World nor till the then time and for Israels sinfulness God did Elect and make choice of the first Gentile Churches and God chose them before the body of Israel but not as to matter of time but as to matter of choice and likeing in God rather to choose them that had ignorantly offended him then them that had willfully disobeyed him as is proved and therefore they are said to be chosen before the Foundation which Foundation was Israel VI. It was the Remnant chosen from among Israel and the first Gentile Churches that had the peculiar calling for from among the Gentiles did God then choose a People to the praise of his Name which were chosen according to the counsel of the will of God for the purpose he had determined which was to receive the Holy Ghost to bear their testimony to the Truth of the Gospel And also that in them in time to come he might shew forth the Exceeding Riches of his Grace These were those that first received the word from the mouth of the Disciples and so believed in Christ thorough their word And it was by the Example of the Elect that all they of Macedonia Achaia believed 1 Thes 1.4,5,6,7,8 These were those for whom Christ in a peculiar manner prayed for as he did not for the World these were those that were Glorified by their Receiving of the Holy Ghost John 14.17 for â—he Holy Spirit which was before but with the Disciples or Church was afterward given to be in the first Churches theâ—… were those of whom St Paul spake of that were Fore-known Called Justified and Glorified by their Receiving the Holy Ghost to be in them and these were those that were ordained to Eternal Life being thus chosen to it who were first to receive the Gospel and who were as a candle lighted up by the Lord to enlighten the World who lay in wickedness and darkness and by the mighty Signs and Wonders Miracles and Gifts of the Holy Ghost part of the World imbraced the Faith in the Apostles time and the Word brought forth fruit in them as it did in the Elect Colos 1.6 Joh. 12.32 1 Tim. 3.16 VII Whereas it is said God daily added to the Church such as should be saved that was spoken to Israel as is proved for of them there was some excluded the then offered Mercy but by the evident witness of the Spirit that was given to the Elect was the Gentile Nations convinced of the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel and so became the seed of Abraham by Chrtst in yielding their assent to the Obedience of the Gospel VIII But when the Nations came to have no love to the Truth that they might be saved but took pleasure in Iniquity God then gave them up to strong Delusions that they might believe lyes and so worship the Beast for as Israel for sin was left to blindness so the Gentile Nations for sin were left to Delusion for when their Rulers would no longer be holden with the cords of the Laws of the Lord then did God permit them to be deceived by the Beast so as to give their power unto him and then did the Beast deprive the Nations of the Gospel by which God calls to his Creatures to walk in Newness of Life that they may become heirs to the Promises IX Whereas it is said The Promise was not to Abraham and his Seed after the Flesh but the seed in Christ and Isaac was the seed to whom the Promise was made by whom the natural seed of Abraham is included as well as the Adopted But neither to the Natural Seed nor the Adopted Seed that live after the will of the Flesh are they to whom the Promise belongs but to them that live according to the Spirit in Obedience to the Word are them to whom the promise is made and the promise is That in time to come God will establish his Everlasting Covenant with them the which crowns Life to the Soul X. Whereas it is said That Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for Righteousness And that which Abraham believed was that in the way of his Obedience he should become heir to the Promises and therefore he left his Countrey his Kindred and his Fathers House and for the Promise sake God made to Abraham That he should be the Father of many Nations therefore when he first took the Gentiles into Covenant with himself he did then declare his Righteousness in being just to his Promise which he had made to Abraham in then Justifying them that believed in Jesus For the Gentiles believing in Christ that Salvation was to be had by him according to his word which was by taking his Yoke upon them in a willingness to render their sincere Obedience to him and thereupon they were Justified of God from their past sins in and thro' Christ by their willingness to obey him for the time to come and the Reward promised was to be received both by Abraham and his seed according as they should afterward perform the conditions XI Whereas Christ saith In believing that he is the Son of God is the Rock on which he built his Church and his Church is not only his Elect but likewise all them that obey him against whom the Gates of Hell shall not prevail For he is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 For the Faith that God requireth of us is to believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that dilligently seek him Heb. 11.6 For a Believer is no longer a Believer than he believes Salvation is to be had by Christ according as he hath declared in his word which is in the way of his Obedience no more than a Righteous Man is a Righteous Man in the day that he commits Iniquity And Good Works is proved by the word to be a foundation for us to build our hopes of Salvation upon as well as the Merits of Christ 1 Tim. 6.18,19 James 2.19,24 Ye see then how that by Works a Man is Justified and not by Faith only For tho
School-master to bring them to Christ That is the Law shewed them their insufficiency for none being able to fulfil the moral Law to that perfection as to become justified by it therefore it was as a School-master to bring them to look for justification from another And also the Ceremonial law was as a School master to them whereby that great Sacrifice was typified out to them which only could make attonement for our sins And no sooner was the Lord of life Crucified which was that great Sacrifice which had been all along pointed at but their Sacrifices for sin were abolished And the Believers that by faith in Christ Jesus took hold of the Offer of mercy according as it was offered by Christ which is that all should have the free pardon of their sins upon condition of their future sincere obedience And so they then became justified without the deeds of the Law through the imputation of Christ's Righteousness and their willingness for the future to render their sincere obedience to all Christ's commands and precepts For he that cometh after me Christ saith must deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Matth. 16.24 And whereas the Apostle saith Gal. 3.26 For ye are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus This he speaks of them that had embraced the faith and had received the Spirit And those of us that have taken Christ to have the ruling power in their hearts in hopes of Eternal Salvation are all the Children of God through Faith in Christ Jesus And whereas he saith v. 27. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ This he chiefly speaks of the inward baptism of those that have so put on Christ as to have brought their thoughts and wills into subjection unto Christ Therefore he saith to the Church To as many of them as have so done have put him on And he saith Heb. 11.6 For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Chap. II. The Faith of Abraham Rom. 4.3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 For what saith the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for Righteousness Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace but of debt But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for Righteousness Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works Saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin Cometh this blessedness then upon the Circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision also For we say that Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness How was it then reckoned when he was in Circumcision or in uncircumcision not in circumcision but in uncircumcision By these words it doth appear that when Abraham was received into mercy he might have no works of Righteousness of his own to represent him acceptable with God But as the first Churches were brought out of darkness Heathenism and Error and had not good works of their own but they believing the promise that upon confessing and forsaking their sins they should find mercy by the imputed righteousness of Christ Who according thereunto did thus justifie the ungodly And as Abraham was accepted without the deeds of the Law so Israel and all that were willing to joyn themselves with them were accepted without the deeds of the Law when God brought them out of the Land of Aegypt So the first Gentile Churches for the promise made to Abraham and Christ at their first reception were accepted without works of righteousness or the deeds of the Law And the Angel said of Christ that he should be a light to lighten the Gentiles before he said he should be the glory of his people Israeâ— Luke 2.32 Therefore accordingly there was a great number of the Gentiles called in by the assistance of his Spirit with the tender of his grace Therefore St. Paul speaking of the then times saith in Rom. 3.26 To declare I say at this time his Righteousness That he might be just and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus God is here said to be just in performing his promise to Abraham and Christ concerning the calling in of the Gentiles and in thus justifying them that believed on Jesus which according to the conditions of the tender of his grace took hold of his mercy So we see there was a three-fold day of grace without the deeds of the Law First to Abraham then to his natural seed then to his adopted seed For God carries on all his works in a three-fold way And as under the Law there was a door of mercy set open to all that would take hold of his Covenant So under the Gospel there is a door of mercy set open to all that will take hold of the promise of life according as it is offered by Christ of his free grace which is in the free pardon of all their past sins upon the conditions of their love and sincere obedience for time to come For neither Abraham nor his Natural Seed nor his adopted Seed can any longer have a share in the promises than they persist in their obedience it being the condition of the tender of his grace that for the eternal life promised'd we should yield him obedience For Christ saith Mat 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross daily and follow me For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever will lose his for my sake the same shall save it Luke 9.23,24,25,26 And it is the Faith of Abraham that is required And what was the Faith of Abraham The Faith of Abraham was that he believed God and that was imputed to him for Righteousness And what was that which Abraham believed That which Abraham believed was that God would in the way of his Obedience make of him a great Nation and that in him all the Families of the Earth should be blessed Therefore God calls on him to obey and saith Gen. 12.1 Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy Father's house And I will make of thee a great Nation Here we see he was to put in practice his obedience or else he could not have been heir to the promise Heb. 11.8 By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should afterward receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went So the Lord calls on us to come out of sin self and the eager pursuit of this world and to follow him and we shall find rest to our Souls and he will give us the Crown of Life And if we will not yield to these conditions we must not expect a share in these promises And tho' St. Paul
method of Salvation which if accordingly be lieved they should be saved Therefore Christ saith to the Church Rev. 3.3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thief and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee Here we see the Lord calls upon them to put in practice what they have heard Which if they do not he will come upon them at an hour they are not aware of And as the Thief comes to destroy so the Lord will come to the destruction of them that have his word and will not according thereunto wait for him with a prepared heart in love to receive him For he saith If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love John 15.10 and in the 14. v. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you And also the Lord saith John 8.31 If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed And the offer of mercy by Christ is to all that will take his Yoke upon them Matth. 11.29 And the Lord saith Mark 8.34,35,36 Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel the same shall save it For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own Soul This losing of the life for Christ is to be taken under a twofold head Not only when we are called to lay down our life for the defence of the Gospel but also in denying our selves the pleasures delights and advantages of this world for this is spoken in general to all that will save their lives to life eternal According to this the Lord saith John 12.25 He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal And Christ saith Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 7.24 Christ saith Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them is like to a wise man that built his house upon a rock So if we lay hold upon the promise of life according to the conditions offered by Christ we build upon that rock that will never fail us So as when the greatest storm ariseth that man will securely stand because he is faithful that hath promised But if we believe in Christ for justification yet walk according to our own imaginations and not according to his Commands it is building upon a sandy foundation for which they will have damnation According to the word of the Lord when he sent his Disciples to teach the Doctrine of the Gospel which was the conditions of the Covenant of grace He then said He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16.15,16 That is it was the Gospel which then Christ sent forth his disciples to teach which they that heard were to believe Accordingly the Lord saith Matth. 28.19,20 Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you and lo I am with you to the end of the world That is with the race of the Disciples which is of the remnant he will be with to the end of the World for they are those that none can pluck out of his hand And of whom it is said they follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth And also he will never forsake any whilst they keep his way in observing to do whatsoever he Commands them Now the Belief in Christ that is saving is to be grounded upon the words of Christ that his righteousness is to be applied for the justification of the sinner according to the conditions as it is tendred by him which is in the observing to do whatsoever he commanded them For tho' at the first receiving of the Gospel by his free grace they were saved from their sins by yielding to the conditions that Christ required Yet all of them that were not immediately taken away by death were to be judged according to the performance of those conditions before they could be thought meet to partake of the Crown of life And in every believer is required the faith of God's Elect that in the way of their love and obedience they shall become Heirs to the promise Zacheus desired to be a Disciple of the Lord and he knew in being so his Obedience was required Therefore he said Lord half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have taken any thing from any by false accusation I will restore him fourfold Luke 19.8 But many of us like the Jews of old by their Tradition made the Commands of God of no effect So many with us by their half-faith or believing but half way in that they leave out the conditions upon which life and salvation is offered by Christ have made their faith in Christ of none effect to the saving of their Souls because the promise of life is upon condition of our Obedience In which whosoever remains faithful to the death shall have the Crown of life But for any to think that Christ dyed to give them a liberty to sin it is of such God saith Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Now consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal 50.21,22 This forgetting God is forgetting their duty as to yield Obedience unto his Commands But for our having Faith in the righteousness of Christ separate from good works is dead standing alone James 2.20,21,22 But wilt thou know vain man that faith without works is dead Was not Abraham our Father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar Seest thou how faith wrought with his work and by works was faith made perfect Thereby shewing that a lively and perfect Faith always includs good works As first the inward work upon the will and affections and afterwards good works put in practise Therefore he saith in the 26 verse For as the body without the Spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also And Chap 1. v. 25. But whoso looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed Now why is it term'd the Law of Liberty Because such as walk in obedience thereunto are by Christ set free from the condemning power of sin and death 26. v. If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth
is according to their willing and running they shall find acceptance with him and accordingly be rewarded by him And the people are condemned not because they knew not God but because they had no will to obey him as in Prov. 1.30,31 They would have none of my counsel they despised all my reproof Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices And the Lord saith to the Jews John 5.40 Ye will not come to me that ye might have life Thereby shewing the door of mercy was wider open to them of Israel than they were willing to embrace and improve the opportunity And oh that we would not as they were be found alike guilty and so be made partakers of the more severer vengeance But on the contrary that we would turn from all our evil ways and seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Isa 55.6,7 begging his assistance that we may be able to withstand all our corrupt affections and inclinations and if we are sincere therein God will not be wanting to us But if we have no love to his ways 2 Thes 2.10 nor will not obey him Prov. 1.30 and will not chuse his fear verse 29. then for such there remains no hope For we shall stand or fall according as we chuse or refuse obedience to his will Now we through the mistaking of some of the sayings of St. Paul have made the Oath of God and the general Call and Offer of mercy by Christ to all that will according as it is tendred lay hold of it to be of no effect Notwithstanding St. Peter fairly warns us that in St. Paul's Epistles were some things hard to be understood which some did wrest to their own destruction 2 Pet. 2.16 And could we no otherwise have understood the meaning of St. Paul than in the contradiction of the God of Truth it had been a far less errour to have thought St. Paul might have erred than to have made the Oath of God and the general offer of mercy by Christ void by the misapprehending the words of St. Paul so as to think that none but the Elect could be saved But as the Prophet for believing the old Prophet in the contradiction of what God himself had said therefore was destroyed for a Lion met him and slew him 1 Kings 13.17,18,19,23,24 This being set down for a warning to us that we might not be alike guilty Chap. XIV What the Sign is when God for Sin intends to leave a Nation People or Person And the Kingdom of God in this time and the Kingdom of God in time to come explained VVHen God because of Sin determines to leave a People Nation or Person to destruction he then leaves them to delusion and to blindness of mind like as Pharaoh Exod. 7.13 Ahab 1 Kings 22.20,21 and Israel Psal 81.11,12 And Christ spake to Israel in Parables That by hearing they should hear and not understand and seeing they should see and not perceive Matth. 13.14 For the Jews were then in expectation of the coming of the glorious Kingdom of God which was foretold them by the mouth of all the Prophets and therefore a Pharisee demanded of Christ when the Kingdom of God should come And he answered him and said The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation but more rightly exprest as it is set down in the Margin of your Bibles not with shew neither shall they say lo here or lo there for behold the Kingdom of God is within you Luke 17 20,21 Christ by these words sheweth that in this time he was but to have his ruling-power in the hearts of his People And by this it is clear it is those that he rules in that are his And this being the only visible Kingdom that God has in the time of this World which Kingdom or People is not in shew of this World's greatness and grandeur This answer of the Lord was quite contrary to what the Pharisee expected for he only apprehended the Lord was to come to Reign and restore all things and not that he was first to come to suffer and this proved a stumbling-block to Israel But the Lord said in the following verses to his Disciples of his second coming v. 23,24,25 For as the lightning that lightneth out of the one part under Heaven shineth unto the other part under Heaven so shall also the Son of Man be in his day For the glory of that day will be such as St. Paul terms the then time but night to that approaching day Rom. 13.12,13 And Christ concerning the Parable of his second coming and Kingdom saith Matth. c. 13. v. 41,42,43 The Son of Man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity And shall cast them into a Furnace of Fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Here the Lord declareth the time of the end of this World will be when he cometh at which time the Power of this World will be taken from them by his coming and sending his Angels to gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity By these words nothing can be more plain than that the Kingdom which will then be Christ's is this material World from which those that offend and do iniquity will then be cast out Now from these words also the Lord leaves himself scope to take in those that are given him of his Father at his second coming the which also will be his Elect which is Israel Rom. 11.28 and other Nations mentioned in the Word which will then be saved and then will the way of the Kings of the East be prepared Rev. 16.12 And the forementioned Book sheweth whom the Lord hath said shall likewise be spared and all these will be brought to a sense of their own unworthiness and so lay hold of mercy before the wicked is destroyed and therefore then they will not be offenders when the wicked are cast out so as the Lord may take in whom he will of the Heathen and God will as well keep faithful to his promise at Christ's second coming in calling in the Jews and others with them Isa 56.8 as he did perform his promise to Christ when he first came in calling in and justifying the sinners of the Gentiles And in that Christ saith to his Disciples in the 43th verse Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Here Christ doth not say all the righteous therefore he hath his reference to the raised Saints and the Witnesses that will be caught up in the clouds into those glorious Mansions or Tabernacles which the Lord pitcheth and not Man Isa 4.5,6 Rev. 21.21 From which they shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of
it is not only to be an advantage to themselves but also to carry on the Counsel of the will of God in the purpose he hath determined As the Remnant for a standing witness The first Churches likewise to partake of the Holy Ghost and to bear their testimony to the truth of the Gospel And also they were to withstand the fury of the enemy and to meet with fiery tryals These things were so certainly alotted here their portion that they were not to think strange of it Pet. neither are Israel that will be taken in and be the Lords Elect in time to come chosen only for themselves but also to carry on the Counsel of the will of God that the other Nations that are spared might be blessed in them who are given to Israel for Daughters and Servants Who in some measure will partake of the glory And also in this time if God doth elect or chuse any single person it is not only for the benefit of that person but to carry on the Counsel of the Will of God As Josiah he was to break down the Altars of the false Gods And Cyrus to restore Israel to their own Land And Luther to bring the Gospel again to light that others that would might take hold of the offers of mercy I hope that His Majesty and the Great Councel of the Nation will take these things into their consideration that thro' their incouraging the Knowledge of the truth it may meet with better success than it did in Swedeland For when the good Ministers that truely feared God seeing the Signs the Lord foretold should be before his coming and thereby apprehending his near approach was willing to acquaint the people that thereby they might prepare for the coming of the Lord so as they might not be found in darkness at that day and that day come upon them at unawares But the greater part withstood the truth like the Pharisees of old and would suppress the Knowledge of it and presently sent away to the Ministers in Holland to continue as they were The certainty of this came over in the Monthly Mercury And I also heard by an Outlandish Minister that when the good Ministers of that Country upon the signs the Lord had given of his coming and they knowing there was a great deal of the Scripture unrevealed therefore desired that they might joyn in earnest prayers to the Lord for the right understanding of his word and to leave off their Scholastick way of preaching and more to study the Word But those that were in the wrong being the strongest party would not yield thereunto But I hope our Ministers and Teachers of all Parties will not follow their Example since it is made so clearly evident that the stroke will fall on the Christians that shall be found in darkness at that day And since we have been all in mistakes some more and some less till God of his mercy now again brought the true meaning of his word to light according to his promise as we therefore may the better pity and pray one for the other and by a speedy reformation break off from our sins by working righteousness and in shewing mercy to the poor who are at this day languishing And also by our owning the whole truth that thereby we may unite and serve the Lord with one consent And that by us the Protestant Churches beyond Sea might be warned and that by our and their owning the whole truth it may give such an alarm to the Christian World that many Millions of Souls might come out of Darkness For the Lord giveth his Creature an opportunity to improve and this being now the small time that is given the Christians whereby to escape the wrath to come if we accordingly take hold of it and do not stand in opposition against the truth FINIS A Rehearsal of the Covenant BY MOSES Made with the Children of Israel at Mount Horeb Including the Strangers which were then with them and those that afterward should be brought into Covenant with them by Christ From which Adopted Seed comes the Root of Gall and Wormwood which is the Blood-thirsty Drunkard whom St. Paul terms the Root of Bitterness With a certain Account how the Mountains of Sicily and Naples came to be fired being prophesied of by Moses Chap. XXIX Of the Covenant MOses having gathered all the people together and rehearsed the Covenant of the Lord to them and given them a charge to keep it and therefore saith in Deut. 29.9 Keep therefore the words of this Covenant and do them that ye may prosper in all that ye do 10. v. Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God your Captains of your Tribes your Elders and your Officers with all the men of Israel 11. v. Your little ones your Wives and thy Stranger that is in thy Camp from the Hewer of thy Wood unto the Drawer of thy Water 12. v. That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God and into his Oath which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day 13. v. That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself and that he may be unto thee a God as he hath said unto thee and as he hath sworn to thy Fathers to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob. We here see that this Covenant was made with them and their little ones and with the strangers that were in their Camp all of them were nominated in this Covenant And Moses farther saith in 14. v. Neither with you only do I make this Covenant and this Oath 15. v. But with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God and also with him that is not here with us this day We see here that this Covenant was made vvith them also that vvere not vvith them at that day The vvhich as there vvere strangers at that time taken into Covenant vvith Israel so strangers vvere again to be taken into Covenant in the time that vvas then to come and so to become the Seed of Abraham And therefore St. John Baptist said to the Pharisees knovving that their hearts vvere not right to God Matt. 3.8,9 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance 9. v. And think not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our Father for I say unto you That God is able of these stones to raise up Children unto Abraham And St. Paul saith to the Philippians Phil. 3.3 That they are the Circumcision which Worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the Flesh And St. Paul farther saith in the Ephesians Ephes 3.6 That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel And he farther saith in Galathians Gal. 3.28,29 There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither Bond nor Free there is neither Male nor Female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus And if
after the Blood of the Saints of which he hath taken so much with her that they are become Drunken with it And in Rev. 16.6 It is said They have shed the Blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast given them blood to drink for they are worthy And whereas Moses saith God would blot out that Mans Name from under Heaven So it is said in Rev. 19.20,22 That he was cast alive into the lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone And as to what Moses saith in the 22. v. we are in especial manner to take notice of in that he saith The Generation to come of your Children in that he doth not here in the plural number say Generations but Generation Speaking after the manner of our Lord Christ David and others in that they mention this Wicked World as one Generation And the Elect with their Generations in the Glorious time another Generation And whereas he saith the stranger that shall come from a far Land up to Jerusalem he saith When they see the Plagues of that Land and the Sickness which the Lord hath laid upon it Here we see Moses does not term it Israel's Land or the Land they were going to possess or Canaan but that Land whereby it is plain it was not meant their Land Now after the Lord again comes and the Judgment of this World is past 't is said Zach. 14.16 Every one shall go up from year to year to Worship the King the Lord of Hosts And then it is those strangers that in their journey pass by that Land up to Jerusalem and see that the whole Land thereof is become Brimstone and Salt and Burning nor any Grass groweth therein like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah Admah and Zeboim which the Lord overthrew in his Anger and in his Wrath Deut. 29.24 Even all the Nations shall say wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this Land what meaneth the heat of his great Anger 25. Then men shall say because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt Now as I before shewed you the Covenant included strangers that were to be brought in for time to come which by Christ should become the Seed of Abraham And so also the Covenant was made with our Fathers when they came out of the Land of Egypt But you may say that Christ came out of one Tribe and therefore the Covenant not made with our Fathers which words include more than one Father To which I Answer That whilst Judah was in Egypt from him sprang many Fathers of Families But peradventure you may say that Christ could not come of all the Families of Judah To which I Answer That by the Father and Mother's side of whom as concerning the Flesh Christ came there was then when this Covenant was made many of our Fathers also considering that then they lived to see the fourth Generation of their Children Now in the 26. v. forward Moses seems also to intermix Israel vvith this Degenerate Root for in the 26. v. he saith They went and served other Gods and Worshipped them Gods whom they knew not and whom he had not given unto them 27. v. And the Anger of the Lord was kindled against this Land to bring upon it all the Curses that are written in this Book That is This Land which he before had been speaking of on vvhich shall be made out all the severer Curses that are Written in this Book of the Lavv. And as many of the Curses as have not been inflicted on Israel and their Land will be inflicted on that Root that beareth Gall and Wormwood and their Land to whom the severest of them doth particularly belong as I before shewed you And Moses saith in the 28. v. The Lord rooted them out of their Land in anger and in wrath and in great indignation and cast them into another land as it is this day 29. v. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God But those things which are revealed belong unto us and our Children for ever that we may do all the words of this Law Now whereas Moses saith in the 28. verse That the Lord rooted them out of their Land in anger in wrath and in great indignation The which words also have a reference to Israel because God for their Sins did cast out the Seed of Jacob out of their Land But whereas he saith The Lord cast them into an other Land as it is this Day But now when this question is said should be asked and this Answer return'd it was after the time of Restitution and to them of that Generation that are partakers of that blessedness which then will be revealed And whereas he saith cast them into another Land which was quite different from Judah's Curse for they were to be scattered into the Four Winds and from one end of the Earth to the other Therefore I fear the Land here spoken of that these are to be cast into will be that which is mentioned Job 10.22 A Land of Darkness as Darkness it self For the time when these words were spoken would not admit him more clearly to mention them Now Moses in Deut. 29.29 to let them understand that there was something here interwoven or that his words had a Two-fold meaning that Israel might not be too much discouraged and that also the true Christians might thereby be enlightned as concerning this Root of Bitterness when God shall open their Eyes to see it in that he saith to them Deut. 29.29 That secret things belong to God but those things that are revealed belong to us and to our Children Now there are a great many secret things in the Book of God which this Word may have some Reference to but to assure us here was a Secret and therefore to this place is this Word Secret linked only So in the following Chapter Deut. 30. he treats of Israel's repenting and returning and in the 6. v. he saith God will circumcise their heart and the heart of their Seed to love the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soul that they may live And he saith in the 7. v. The Lord thy God will put all these Curses upon thine Enemies and on them that hate thee which persecuted thee 8. v. And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord and do all his commandments which I command thee this day 9. v. And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand in the fruit of thy body and in the fruit of thy cattle and in the fruit of thy land for good for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good as he rejoyced over thy Fathers Now from the 10. v downward Moses speaks of the then time how they should walk with God For in the 11. v. he saith This commandment which I command thee this day
my name Now what is here said it is certain it was spoken for the time that is to come in which God will be magnified in Israel For at that time it is evident the ways of Israel did not please the Lord as to the capacity they were then in And although the Seed of Jacob had the Oracles of God and the Temple yet they had not the promised new Covenant made with them as to be put into a Capacity not to offend but through sin might become as obnoxious to God as any People And Israel saying wherein hast thou loved us Now God said was not Esau Jacob Brother and I loved Jacob and hated Esau That is God had chosen Jacob as the figure of the world to come to whom the most high hath promised to establish an everlasting covenant with his Seed at that time and it is this other world in which is comprehended the love of God to Israel here in this world Esau was a Kingdom before Israel and remained so after Israel as it is said in Obadiah verse 12. Therefore this Esau here spoken of in Malachy could not be the real Esau And also though the people of Esau were destroyed yet God has not curst the Land to be an Habitation for evil creatures For in Obadiah 19. it is said They of the South shall inherit the Mount of Esau But the Inheritance of this figurative Esau is for ever to lie waste for the Dragons of the Wilderness according to the saying of Isaiah and St. John in the Revelations to fullfil the Scriptures Now whereas St. Paul saith Rom. 11.25 For I would not brethren that you should be ignorant of this Mystery lest ye should be wise in your own conceit that bliwdness in part is happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in Verse 26. And so all Israel shall be saved as it is written Isa 59.20 There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Verse 27. For this is my covenant unto them when I shall take awaytheir sins Verse 28. As conterning the Gospel they are enemies for your sake but as touching the Election they are beloved for the Fathers sake Now whereas St. Paul saith that blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in And the Lord himself saith in Luke 21.28 That Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled That is that Jerusalem shall not be restored until the Gentile power is quite vanquished destroyed or extirpated And that will not be till the Lord cometh at which time all Gentile power will be destroyed and laid low And whereas it is said in Isaiah 60.10 That the Sons of strangers shall build thy walls and their Kings shall minister unto thee That is those that are Kings at the coming of the Lord which are and may be converted shall become serviceable and minister to Israel And whereas St. Paul saith until the Gentiles be come in That is the fullness or the greater Number of the Gentiles be come in Rom. 11.25,26,27,28,29 So then all Israel shall be saved As it is written there shall come out of Sion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob for this is my Covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins Here we see that the Apostle did not say that the Lord was come out of Sion that should turn away ungodliness from Jacob but that he would make this promise good to them when he again comes to Sion And in Isa 52.17 at the latter end the Lord speaks of putting on Garments of Vengeance for cloathing in which he will judge his Enemies and at the same time he will deliver Israel as the Apostle saith And in verse 28. he saith concerning the Gospel they are Enemies for your sakes but as touching the Election they are beloved for their fathers sakes For he there tells us 29. The gifts and calling of God are without Repentance Which is as much as to say that they cannot be forgotten of God Here we see St. Paul bears his Witness as to God's making good his promises to Israel and that we are not taken in as to disappoint them of their Inheritance at the Restitution of all things But that then they shall be again taken in and the Everlasting Covenant be made with them according as God has before promised to them Rom. 11.30 For although through their unbelief we are taken into mercy whereby their Number is diminished yet the Covenant that God has by Oath promised to make with them even with both the Houses of Jacob at that time of Restitution they cannot be disappointed of For we that are taken in to be of the Seed of Abraham in and through Christ we must come in as of the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah of which Race Christ came And St. Paul speaking of the conversion of the Jews Rom. 11.15 saith What shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead And the Patriarch Levy in his last will and Testament foretold his Sons that they should call him Heretick that goeth about to renew the Law by the power of the highest and in the end they should kill him out of hand as they think not knowing that he shall rise again and so shall ye receive his innocent blood wilfully upon your own heads For his sake shall your holy place be left desolate which you shall have defiled by utter forswearing and your dwelling shall not be clean but you shall be curst among the Heathen and despair shall vex you till he visit you again And he further saith then will God raise up a new Priest unto whom all the Lords words shall be opened and he shall execute true Judgment upon the Earth many days And his Star shall rise in Heaven as a King shall he shew forth the light of knowledge in the open Sunshine of the day and he shall be magnified over all the world and be received and shine as the Sun upon the Earth and drive away all darkness and there shall be peace upon all the Earth In his days the Heavens shall rejoyce the Earth shall be glad the clouds shall be merry the knowledge of the Lord shall be poured out upon the Earth as the waters of the Seas and the Angels of Glory that are in the Lords presence shall rejoyce in him The Heavens shall be opened and out of the Temple of Glory shall sanctification come upon him with the fathers voice as from Abraham the father of Isaac and the Glory of the highest shall be spread out upon him and the Spirit of understanding and sanctification shall rest upon him whereof he shall give abundantly and mightily to his children in truth for evermore and there shall none succeed him from Generation to Generation World without end In his Priesthood all sin shall come to an end and the
Unrighteous shall cease from their Naughtiness but the Righteous shall rest in Him and He shall open the Gates of Paradice and stay the Threatning Sword against Adam and feed the Lambs with the Fruit of Life and the Spirit of Holiness shall be in them He shall bind up Belial and give his own children power to tread down Hurtful Spirits and the Lord shall rejoice in his children and accept them as his Beloved for evermore Then shall Abraham Isaac and Jacob be glad and then shall I and all Saints rejoyce Now my children ye have heard all therefore chuse unto you either Light or Darkness either the Law of the Lord or the Works of Belial and we answered our Father saying We will walk before the Lord according to his Law And my Father said The Lord is Witness and his Angels are Witness and I am Witness and your selves are Witnesses of the Words of my mouth And when we answered We will be Witnesses Levy rested with this charge be given unto his children And Daniel speaking of the time when the Kingdoms of this World should become the Kingdoms of God and Christ And of the reign of the raised Saints Dan. 7.9 he saith I beheld till the thrones were cast down and the antient of days did sit whose garment was white as snow and the hair of his Head like the pure wooll his Throne was like the fiery flame and his wheels as burning fire V. 10. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him the Judgment was set and the Books were opened V. 11. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake I beheld even till the beast was slain and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame Ye see here also that Daniel makes mention of the Destruction of the Beast and whereas he saith he beheld till the Beast was slain which may only signify that he received the Sentence of Condemnation and his body destroyed his greatness and his grandeur of his Power broken After which he is given to the burning flame Soul and Body And as St. John says after Christ came The beast was taken alive and cast into a lake of sire burning with brimstone And Daniel saith V. 12. As concerning the rest of the beast they had their dominion taken away yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time V. 13. I saw in the night Visions and behold one like the Sun of man came with the Clouds of Heaven and came to the ancient of days and they brought him near before him V. 14. And there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed And whereas the Prophet saith there was given to Christ Dominion Glory and a Kingdom which was that all People Nations and Languages should serve and obey him And in v. 18. it is said The Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom and possess the Kingdom for ever even for ever and ever Here it is said That the Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom that is be possest with the Kingdom or made partakers of the Kingdom of which Christ is head And he tells us in the 27. v. That the Kingdom Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most high whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all dominions shall serve and obey him We see by these words that it is fully cleared where this Kingdom is said to be which will be given to the People of the Saints of the most High That it is the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven Therefore it must be upon the Earth at the time of the restitution of all things For Isaiah saith c. 24. v. 4. The Earth mourneth and fadeth away the world languisheth and fadeth away the haughty People of the Earth do languish In these last words the Prophet tells us his meaning in saying the Earth Mourneth and the World Languisheth For he saith it is the Haughty People of the Earth do Languish V. 5. The Earth also is defiled under the Inhabitants thereof because they have transgressed the Laws changed the Ordinances broken the everlasting Covenant Whereby we see that the Earth is defiled through the sinfulness of man that is upon it Now Christ dyed to restore lost man that he might purchase to himself a Glorious Church withour spot or wrinkle And he will restore the Earth to be for what it was intended in the first Creation which was for the bringing up of a Holy Seed and to be Israels inheritance and the Earth was prepared for their Nourishment which as the Earth did fill God might translate them to those Heavenly habitations Now in the day of the Restitution of all things Christ has more than a ruling Power in the Hearts of his People or with his Saints in Heaven But then will be given to him all the Kingdoms of the Earth to serve and obey him Then shall it be term'd but one Kingdom as having but one Head to be the chief Ruling Power and the raised Saints to Rule under him And Daniel doth further assure us by the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzars Dream Dan. 2.44 That in the days of those Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom which never shall be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left to other People but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever V. 45. For as much as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the Mountain without hands and that it brake in pieces the Iron the Brass the Clay the Silver and the Gold the great God hath made known to the King what shall come to pass hereafter and the dream is certain and the interpretation thereof is sure Now whereas the Prophet here tells us that the Dream is certain and the interpretation thereof is sure that is we may bind upon it that the God of Heaven will set up a Kingdomwhich never will be destryed And that the Kingdom shall not be left to other People but it shall break in pieces and consume all other Kingdoms and stand for ever For although it is said Christ and his Raised Saints shall reign a Thousand Years the which as I before said those words doth not at all signifie that the Reign of Christ and his raised Saints shall continue no longer than the thousand years but that the Glory may not so eminently or visibly appear after Satan is loosed to accomplish his wickedness in his deceiving his Gog and Magog after which he shall receive his final Doom Now whereas the Lord saith in Isa 26.19,20,21 Thy dead men
the second Temple which is from the beginning of the 4th chapter of Ezekiel where the Lord sheweth him how the Temple should again be built the second time and how every thing should be ordered according to what it was formerly vvhich is all along treated of from the 40th chapter to the 47th chapter except the beginning of the 43d chapter to the 10th verse and there he speaks of the Glory of the Lord and what the Lord said to him concerning his Dwelling in the midst of the Children of Israel for ever as in Ezek. 43.7,8 And he said unto me Son of man the place of my Throne and the place of the Soles of my Feet where I dwell in the midst of the Children of Israel for ever and my Holy Name shall the House of Israel no more defile neither they nor their Kings by their Whoredom nor by the Carcases of their Kings in their high places 8. v. In their setting their threshold by my thresholds and their posts by my posts and the Wall between me and them they have even defiled my Holy Name by their abominations that they have committed wherefore I have consumed them in mine Anger 9. v. Now let them put away their Whoredom and the Carcasses of their Kings far from me and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever Here we see the Lord 's promising the Children of Israel to dwell with them for ever after the Temple was built the second time was but â—n conditions and the conditions was the puting away their sins which if they did God would dwell with them for ever That is the Ever of this World as well as that which is to 〈◊〉 This is to shew That there was no decree in God for theirs or the Temples Destruction but that his Promise was but at that time conditional with them as it was formerly with Abraham and his seed as in Gen. 17.9 And also Solomon saith in 1 Kings 8.25 Therefore now Lord God of Israel keep with thy Servant David my Father that thou hast promised him saying there shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit onâ— the Throne of Israel so that thy Children take heed to their way that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me So we see in the Ever of this World the promises were all along conditional And the ever of this World is till the time of the Restitution of all things Now Israel at their Return from the Babylonian Captivity had a fresh promise of God of his dwelling amongst them in the Ever of this World if they would put away their sins Now the foreknowledge in God of their miscarriage signifies nothing as to a Decree in God And when they will not obey then it is the Lord saith thou hast destroyed thy self Hosea 13.9 Now the Lord therefore in the 47th Chapter of Ezekiel 1. v. speaks nothing of the destruction of the Temple that was then to be built because it was not for their sins that built it that did occasion the destroying of it and therefore no mention made of the Temple being to be rebuilt the third time Whereupon the Prophet only said of which we are to take notice in Ezek. 47.1 Afterward he brought me again tâ— the Door of the House and behold Waters issued out from under the Threshold of the House Eastward for the Fore-Front of the House stood towards the East and the Waters came down from under from the right side of the House at the South side of the Altar Now in that he saith afterwards he brought meagain it is to signifie to us that it vvas not at one and the same time That is That the Waters issued not out from under the Threshold at the building of the second Temple But that this vvas spoken for time to come because also of the Trees there mentioned in Ezek. 47.7,12 By the Rivir upon the Bank thereof on this side and on that side shall grow all Trees for meat whose Leaf shall not fade neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed it shall bring forth new fruits according to his months because their Waters issued out of the Sanctuary and the fruit thereof shall be for meat and the leaf thereof shall be for medicine And at that time these Trees do grovv all Israel is then gathered as in the 13. v. Thus saith the Lord God this shall be the border whereby ye shall inherit the Land according to the Twelve Tribes of Israel Joseph shall have two portions At vvhich time also vvhen all Israel is gathered the stranger that sojourneth shall have a portion vvith them as in the 22. v. And it shall come to pass that ye shall divide the Land by Lot for aâ— inheritance unto you unto the strangers that sojourn among you which shall beget children among you and they shall be unto you as born in the Countrey among the children of Israel they shall have inheritance with you among the Tribes of Israel Here vve see that vvhen this River is to be then all the Tribes of Israel vvill be gathered and that then the Sojourner is to have an Inheritance vvith them And then shall the true Christian have a portion in the Land of Canaan vvhen the Lord again comes And then vvill be the Restitution of All Things Novv all along the time of this World whilst there was a Temple the Priests and Levites had no Portion of Land given them as in Ezek. 44.27 And in the day that he goeth into the Sanctuary unto the inner Court to Minister in the Sanctuary he shall Offer his Sin-Offerings saith the Lord God And it shall be unto them for an inheritance I am their Inheritance and ye shall give them no possession in Israel I am their possession 29. They shall eat the Meat-Offering and the Sin-Offering and the Trespass-Offering and every Dedicated thing is Israel shall be theirs Here we see that the Priests then had no Land given them but when all Israel is again gathered then the Tribe of Levy is to have a portion of Land given them as in Ezek. 48.9 So on to the 14 v. and altho there is none of the Tribe of Dan now said to follow the Lamb Christ so as to be sealed for the Glorious Tabernacle yet then when Israel is gathered then are they not excluded but he will have his Portion among the rest of them as in Ezek. 48.1 From the North End to the Coast of the way of Hethlon as one goeth to Hamath Hazorenan the border of Damascus Nothward to the Coast of Hamath for these are his beside East and West a Portion for Dan. And Jacob did foresee that Satan would more prevail with the Seed of Dan than the rest of them by what he said of him at his Death in Gen. 49.17 Dan shall be a Serpent by the way an Adder in the Path that biteth the Horses heels so that his Rider shall fall backward Which signifies they
precepts of men Is not this like building on the Sand of which the Lord speaks in Matth. Where he saith in the 26. v. Mat. 7.26,27 Every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand and whom the Lord forewarns that their building shall not stand in the day of trial And the Lord also saith in 21. v. Mat. 1.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven And also St. James saith Jam. 1.22 But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves And he farther saith Jam. 2.20,21,22 But wilt thou know O vain Man that faith without works is dead was not Abraham our Father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his Son upon the Altar seest thou how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect So the Lord saith unto Esdras in the 7. v. 2 Esd 9.7,8 And every one that shall be saved and shall be able to escape by his works and by faith whereby ye have believed shall be preserved from the said perils and shall see my salvation in my land and within my borders And in Matth. 20. Mat. 20.2,4,6,7 The Lord did not call any into his Vineyard without putting them to work therein And in Matth. 26.41 The Lord bids them watch and pray that they enter not into temptation And St. Peter bids us 1 Pet. 5.8 Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour Therefore we had need watch continually over our own hearts thoughts words and works For the evil one in all our ways does lay traps nets and gins to insnare us Therefore St. Paul bids us Eph. 6.11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand Stand therefore having your loyns girt about with truth and having on the breast-plate of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace Above all taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints Praying always that is praying dayly Which is as if any one gives us our dayly food as long as we live we say that they continually give us our food Praying all Prayer That is upon all occasions for our selves and for the Saints and for all Men that have not excluded themselves from his mercy And St. John tells us 1 John 2.4,5 He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him But whoso keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him That is if our wills are brought over to be truly obedient and if so there will not want an earnest endeavour to persevere in a holy life Which is unlike those that Paul to Titus speaks of That Tit. 1.16 profess that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate How think you it will then prove with such in the great day For St. Paul saith 2 Thes 1.7,8,9 When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power I hope this dreadful sentence will awaken many sleeping Christians before it is too late Therefore to day whilst it is called to day harden not your hearts but make preparation for the Bridegroom of your Souls Now as to what St. Paul saith Rom. 9.30 What shall we say then that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness even the righteousness which is of faith That is the Gentiles that were first brought home to Christ by the call of the Gospel no sooner savingly believed in the Lord Jesus as to accept him as he is tendred in the Gospel but the righteousness of Christ is imputed to them as though they had never sinned For St. Paul saith That Col. 2.10,11 ye are complete in him which is the head of all principality and power In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the â—…ns of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. And again he saith Eph. 2.10 For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Now whereas he â—aith that they were created in Christ Jesus to good works That is they are â—o sooner taken into mercy but that the â—ghteousness of Christ is imputed to â—hem whereby they appear in the sight â—f God as though they had never sinned â—…om their Creation But when he told â—hem they were created in Christ Jesus to good works you see also in the same ver he tells them that God had ordained that they should walk in them And he saith likewise Col. 2.6,7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as ye have been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving And he saith farther Col. 3.1,2,3,4,5,6 If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Set your affections on things above and not on things on the earth For ye are dead and your life is had with Christ in God When Christ who is your life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousness which is Idolatry For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the Children of disobedience For we are not only to shun the doing evil but we must also learn to do well And whereas the Apostle saith Rom. 9.31,32 But Israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousness