the man that heareth me watching dayly at my Gates and waiting at the Posts of my Doors for whosâ— findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord Prov. 8. 34. 35. which will be no less then to fit him with blessings and lead him in doing of these his Commandments to have right to the Tree of life and so to enter through the Gates into the City Psal 65. 4. And to keep his Commandments for such a blessed end and so to enter these foresaid Gates now that at his coming we may enter through these glorious Gates into the holy City and as the Text it self is a strong motive so also to encourage and move us hereunto we have a cloud of witnesses of examples of such as in keeping his Commandements have passed through all these Gates that have lived on this earth as strangers in it by faith and walked in that faith Heb. 11. 1. 2. 8. 9. 10. c. that have indured and gone through great trials and sufferings Heb. 11. 24. * 27. 34. 35. And that have died in the faith Heb. 11. 13. 14. 15. 16. And of whom it is ascertained they shall be raised and enjoy the City Luke 20. 37. 38. Heb. 11. 16. 40. But especially and above all we have the example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ now in the Gospel set before us who is the object foundation author and finisher of our faith the witness Leader and Captain to behold him who having such Gates to pass though which required greater abasements and greater sufferings and greater strength to go thorough then these before us and yet he longed for them to be opened that he might go through them and now hath gone through them and shewn forth the praises of the Lord Phill. 11. 8. 19. who for the joy that was set before him not for addition to themselves Psal 16. 2. 3. but to bring us to glory indured the Cross dispised the shame and it is set on the right hand of God who having overcome the World and the Devil and Death an answered the law yea abolished death in himself and taken out the sting and curse out of the remainders of these afflictions and first death left us to pass through Iohn 16. 33. Heb. 2. 14 15 2 Tim. 1. 10 Gall. 3. 13. 1 Cor. 15. 35. 36 37. And sanctifyed sufferings and death as means to purge us and a way to pass thâ—ough the Kingdome Isa 27. 8. 9. 10. and 58. 10. Acts 14. 22. And hath both traced out the way for us and given us promise of spirit and presence with us 1 Pet. 2 23. 24 Isa 43. 2. And he is on the right hand of God making intercession for us and able to suppoâ—t consolate make us gainers and give us deliverance glory in due season therefore let us look to him and in beholding and considering him lay aside every weight and the sins that doeth so easily beset us and run with patience the race that is set before us having such a Leader and Captain Heb. 12. 1. 2. 4. 5. surely such a Saviour Leader and Captain and the gracious example and call and the blessing pronounced and the hope set before us and such a cloud of his servants is this way so blessed by him might prevail with To beleive his Testimony and saying therein as verily true and good and spoken by him to us for good To turn at his repâ—ooâ—s in repenting of and abandoning every thing in our designs and wayes discovered by the light in his sayings to be evil and loathsome to him To trust in his word and name for his performing gracious promises to us and not to be ashamed of his name but to confess it before men willingly bearing his reproach and suffering for his names sake and in all loving our brethren as he hath loved us even our enemies with pitty and compassion and all that love him with love of delight and to bring forth the fruits of that law in works of many righteousness and goodness and in all seeking to glorifie him and win others to glorifie him and so in all patiently waiting for his coming and yet when we have done all say we are unprofitable servants putting not trust in our own righteous doing but in doing all such to enjoy him and have our righteousness and life in him and so right to the Tree of life that so in doing the Commandements we may be entring the Gates into the City and that we may go through these Gates so as we may after enter through the glorious Gates into the glorious and holy City to abide and walk in the faith alwayes and in patience possessing our Souls To persevere in confessing his name and bearing his reproach in keeping the faith till our course be finished and wait to be alwayes in readiness to die in the faith and be ready for his coming and that we may do all and to be hearty and diligent in frequenting and using his ordinances foresaid continuing our fellowship with his People in the Gospel and if we thus do walk it will frame us to be of one mind with the first and give us some experiment of the truth and goodness of that we may set to our Seals that God is true Iohn 3. 33. And confess that by faith we have seen and do testify that the father hath sent the Son the Saviour of the world 1 Iohn 4. 14. confessing that Tit. 3 3. 4. 5. 6 7. and so experiment and joyfully say with the Text Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of life and enter in through the gates into the City And that we may so do the Lord in mercy be pleased to favour us with the favour he beareth to his people in leading us in doing his Commandments to have right to the Tree of life and so to enter through the gates into the City and so visiteth with his salvation that we may see the good of his chosen and may joy in the gladness of his nation and glory with his inheritance Amen Psal 143. 10. 10. and 10. 6. 4. 5. Search the Scriptures quoted and learn the usefulness in the reading and the way so plainly shewn us let us up and be doing and the Lord be with us which is the desire of the most unworthy speaker of these things Tho. Moor. Postscript THough it be hinted in this Tract in * 3 Observable ye * 4. and elsewhere and in that Tract of having salt in our selves yet it was moved by a brother that in one particular mentioned about distress in the affairs of this life some farther explication needed I will therefore assay to some explanation how helpfulness is to be found in doing these Commands even in that very particular And so 1. Let us heartily beleive his own sayings yea even for such things as that he is gratious full of compossion of great mercy good to all
any man will be his Disciple let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Mar. 13. 34. Mar. 16. 24. Lu. 9. 25 without which he is not worthy nor can be his Disciple follow him Mat. 10. 37. 38. whoeis ashamed of his Cross and for that of him and his words and so to confess him before the sons of men he will be ashamed of them and deny them before his father which is in Heaven Mar. 8. 38. Mat. 10. 33. such are enemies of the Cross of Christ mind earthly things and glory in their shame their end destruction Phill. 3. 16. 19. And whatever they save by such denyals they shall though they repent lose it and if they repent not lose a better life also Mat. 19. 39. and 16. 25. 26. Mar. 8. 35. and Luke 9. 24. 25. 26. whereas in denying our selves and taking up our Cross and so following him in confessing his name the choice of blessing of grace here and glory hereafter is to be met with Mat. 19. 28. 29. Luke 18. 28. 29. 2 Cor. 1. 4. 5. Rev. 7. 14. 15. Rom. 8. 17. 18. and this is sure if we suffer with him we shall reign with him 2 Tim. 2. 11. therefore let us in observing the first Commandement in beleif of his sayings and thence the second in turning at his reproof and so the third in beleiving on his name for all promised and from and with all obey this Commandment In and for confessing of his name deny our selves and take up our Cross and follow Christ in his instructions and examples given us for blessed are we when persecuted for righteousness sake for ours is the kingdome of Heaven blessed we when men shall revile us c. for Christ and the Gospel sake Matt. 5. 10. 11. 12. 5. That in beleif of and minding this great grace and love of God in Christ and for Christ and his love sake we love one another as he hath loved us 1 Ioh. 3 11. and 4. 11. he loved us when there was nothing lovely nothing deserving his love in us when we loved not him yea when we were sinners ungodly and enemies to him yet he he then loved us and so loved us that he layd down his life for us Rom. 5. 6. 8. 1. Pet. 3. 12. And his Commandment is that we so love one another 1 Iohn 3. 16. and 4. 10. 11. yea he in this love while we were yet enemies foolish and disobedient he so loved us as he doth others still that he useth patience and long sufferance and extendeth mercies and means leading to repentance striving to overâ—ome our and their evil with goodness Psal 145. â— 14. 2 Pet. 3. 9. 15. Rom. 2. 4. 5. And his Commandment is that we should so love our enemies and do good to them that hate us and strive to overcome their evil with goodness Matt. 5. 44. 48. Luke 6. 26. 36. Rom. 12. 20. 21. and when by his love and goodness bâ—leived we are drawn in to be his to beleive in him and love him he then loveth us with the love of delight and well pleased us as the Father loveth him and hath loved him Iohn 14. 21. 23. and 15. 9. 10. and intresseth us and giveth to us of his own priviledges the priviledges of the Son of God Iohn 1. 12. Gall. 3. 26. 29. and 4. 6. 7. 1 Iohn 3. 1. Heb. 2. 12. 13. and vouchsafeth the fellowship with us 1 Iohn 1. 3. 7. and takes the care of us and simpathizeth with us in all our trials and afflictions supporting us in and doing us good thereby Isa 63. 9. Heb. 4. 15. Rom. 8. 28. and makes it his business to wash and clense and sanctifie us through it and so to preserve us to the inheritance 1 Thess 5. 2â— 24. Ephes 5. 25. 26. 27. yea he ever liveth to intercede for us and beareth our weakness and forgiveth our sins answereth our Prayers and supplyeth us out of his own fulness with all that is good for us Heb. 25. Iohn 14. 15. 14. and 1. 16. and his Commandement is that as he hath loved and loveth us that beleive on him so we should love all our breathren that are beleivers on him with such delightful and well pleased love Iohn 13. 34. 35. and 15. 12. 13. And surely in this love of compassion and well pleasedness effected by the love of God beleived is charity yea it is charity it self flowing from the love of God beleived and even therefore loving such as deserve no love yea as give occasion of displeasure c. and it is well pleased with all God is well pleased with and so springs up and brings forth those Christ-like fruits mentioned 1 Cor. 13. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. and fills with those bowels of mercies c. and leads to that forbearance and forgiving one another c. mentioned Coll. 3. 12. 13. 14. yea the doing of all the commands in the second table of the Law is done in doing this Rom. 13. 8. 9. 10. so as in loving our neighbour as our self all the Law is fulfilled Gall. 5. 14. and he that thus loveth is born of God taught and hath learned of God and knoweth owneth and acknowledgeth God and God dwelleth in him and he in God 1 Iohn 4. 7. 12. 16. yea this love freeth from stumbling 1 Iohn 2. 10. and covereth the multitude of infirmities 1 Pet. 4. 8. and worketh up brotherly kindness 2 Pet. 1. 7. Ephes 4. 34. and causeth continuanâ—e 1 Iohn 2. 10. 1 Cor. 13. 7. 8. and leads to follow God and be in a measure like him Ephes 5. 1. 2. Luke 1. 38. so as this a sweet and a healthful Commandment and great blessing met with in doing this Commandment but he that doth it not and so loveth not his brother as said he is in darkness and walketh in darkness is not of God not knoweth God but is a Murderer and hath no eternal life in him 1 Iohn 2. 9. 11. and 3. 10. 15. and 4. 8. 20. And this Commandment we have from him that he which loveth God loves his brother also 1 Iohn 4. 21 let us therefore in and with keeping the four former mentioned Commands keep this also That we may do all things in charity and love one another as he hath loved us 1 Cor. 16. 14. Iohn 13. 34. 35. and that we may do all these Commandements securely and rightly with our heart See 6. That we aim intend desire and so seek in all these commands doing the glory of God and that we and others may glorify him that all glory and praise may be given to him both by us and others 1 Cor. 10. 31. Phill. 1. 20. Coll. 3. 17. Psal 50. 14 28. and 29. 1. 2. and in this we have two things to mind viz. 1. That the keeping these forementioned Commandments is the way to gloryfie God and win in others to glorify him And 2. That it must be our aim end desire
He that beleiveth not on the Son of God hath not life but abideth under wrath 1 John 3. 18. 36. 1 John 5. 12. and 4. He that is ashamed of the name and Cross of Christ before men Christ will be ashamed of him before his father which is in Heaven yea the end of the enemy of the Cross of Christ is destruction Mar. 8. 38. Phil. 3. 18. 19. and 5. He that loveth not his brother is in darkness and abides in death and walketh in darkness and there is no eternal life in him 1 John 2. 9. 11. and 3. 14. 15. and 4. 8 and 6. Such as are set for their own glory honour and applause with men exalting themselves refusing to deny and abase themselves and their own ends and so to give glory to God and so to glorify him and bring others to glorifie him are so far from having right to the tree of life and hope of reward from God that they are hypocrites and resisted of God Matt. 6. 2. 5. 16 1 Pet. 5. 5. 7. I am 4. 4. and sure 7. Such as make hast in use of unwarrantable means and put far off the evil day and say our Lord delayeth his coming are unfaithful and wicked and a bitter portion belongs to them Isa 28. 15. 16. 21. Amos 6. 3. Mat. 24. 48. 51 yet to say all in one word or sayings such as in the means extended to them do not know God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ but walk in their own waies fulfilling the affections and lusts of the flesh they have no inheritance in the kingdome of God nor are capacitated to enter it but another more terrible portion in flaming fire belongs to them Ephes 5. 3. 5. Gall. 3. 19. 20. 21. 2 Thess 1. 7. 8. such are none of Gods peculiar people none of Gods Elect and chosen and so have no right to the Tree of Life c. And yet even such he came to save and is exalted a Prince and Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins to such Acts 5. 31. 1 Tim. 1. 11. 15. so that yet while the day of his grace and patience lasteth as the voyce and call comes to them if they yet in hearing hear his voyce so as they verily beleive his sayings and so turn at his reproofs repent and beleive in his name and so to do these his Commandements before mentioned for the end here set forth they shall live John 5. 24. 25. 26. And receive washing sanctifying and justifying in the name of the Lord and by the Spirit of the Lord 1 Cor. 6. 9. 10. 11. And therein begin to enjoy their right in Christ as set forth in the Gospel and so come therein to begin to have right to the Tree of life as here mentioned And so are brought out of darkness into the marvelous light and such only are his peculiar people his beloved his chosen Rom. 9. 26. 2 Thess 2. 13. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 3. 4. 5. 9. let none deceive themselves nor suffer others to deceive them in saying though they do not his Commandements forementioned yet they may be his elect for ought any man knoweth for that is false and all that beleive the sayings of Christ know it to be false nor that he may say it is in vain or me to hear his voyce and turn for if I have no right to the Tree of life and be reprobated it is impossible for me to be converted and come to have â—ight thereto for that is false also though all remaining such as said have no right to the Tree of life which may be a provocation to hear his voyce and turn and be doing there Commandements Rom. 11. 7. 21. and 9. 26. The second Position THat the right end of doing these Commandments forementioned or the so doing them according to his mind that we may have right to the Tree oâ— life in the midst of the Paradise of God and so enter through the Care into the City It is to do them with this aime and desire and to this very end mentioned that we may have right to the Tree of life c. Thus express here and in the Gospel plainly discovered to us That as we must become Fools in our selves and beleive his sayings true and good who ever become a Lyar thereby so our end if we would receive the blessings must be not to conclude we are and shall be saved harmless because we beleive his sayings but even therefore beleive and here them that we may be saved by that discovered in them Isa 45. 22. Ioh. 5. 39. 40 2 Thess 2. 10. Psal 50. 16. 17. And so our turning at his reproofs and confessing ouâ— iniquities and judging our selves c. Must be not to conclude our selves as therefore saved and having the because that humbled and repenting But that in so humbling our selves under the mighty hand we may receive the powering forth of his spirit and making known his words that he may lift us up and bring us to beleive in him Isa 58. 2. 3. Prov. 1. 23. 1 Cor. 3. 7 8 9 10. 1 Pet. 5. 6. And so our beleiving and â—â—â—â—ing in him for performance of his promises must be not to magnifie and trust in our beleiving trusting and confiding as for that righteousness justified and sure of all But that we may so magnifie his words and trust not in our trusting but in him that Christ himself may be our Righteousness and we justified by the Faith of him and so be strong in the power and grace that is in him and trust in him that he will perform his word and promises for his own word and names sake Psal 56. 3. 4. 10. 11. and 30. 6. 7 8. Gall. 2. 15. 16. 1 Cor. 4. 5. Ephes 6. 10. 2 Tim. 2. 1. 2 Sam. 7. 25 26 27. And so our confession of his name and bearing his reproach and suffering for his names sake must be not to lift up our selves above others thereby and to vant of our sufferings But to be baptized in to his death to imitate him and be conformed to him in suffering and death that the life and power of Christ may be manifested in us and the spirit of Glory rest upon us and we receive this salvation and consolation and the power of his resurrection now and be made like him in the resurrection of the just 2 Cor. 11. 17. 18. Rom. 6. 4. 8. 2 Cor. 4. 10. 11. and 12. 9. Phill. 3. 10. 1 Pet. 2. 21. and 4. 14. 2 Cor. 9. 10. Rom. 5. 3. 4. Iam. 1. 3 4 12. And in loving and shewing forth the Fruits of love in good works our end must be not to gain Applause or after Riches here not to have them for a foundation to him or rest on for life and righteousness before God but to answer his love to us and imitate him therein to testifie love and thanks to him Mat. 14. 48. Ephes 5. 1 2. 2 Cor. 5.
his by the sanctification of the Spirit and beleif of the truth choosing you out of the love and fellowship of the world into union conformity and fellowship with himself sure that is stable and certain for if you do these things which are all done in doing his Commandments as aforesaid and proved yea shall never fall for so an abundant entrance shall be ministred unto you into the everlasting Kindome of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 6. 11. So that it is clear that in this manner doing his Commandments right to the Tree of life and so entrance through the Gates into the City will be verily attained and enjoyed in the first Fruits of the Spirit now and fully in Soul and Body hereafter The fourth Position THat men must first have right to the Tree of life before they can enter through the Gates into the City this is clear in the words and shâ—own in the beginning of * 4. This third observable with the first and third Position in itâ— and may be seen in that fruit of Abrahams faith that did not only beleive in God in what he had formerly discovered to be done for him but also there from beleived in him for what he had promised And so walked in the steps of that Faith Rom. 4 9. 25. Heb. 11. 8. 16. whose Sons and seed â—â— are if we be of and walk in the steps of his Faith Gall. 3 29. Rom 4. 12. and so are heirs according to promise Gall. 3. 29. Yea it is not enough to beleive that Iesus is the Christ and and hath died for our sins and risen for our justification and offered himself a Sacrifice to God for us and is therefore the propitiation for the sins of the whole World unless we there through beleive in him for his promises of those good things to come and by vertue of his mediation to be conferred on us with compleat and unfeighned Faith in unfeighned beleiving had till it come to this Rom. 4. 24. 25. and 5. 1. 2. 8 9 10. and 8. 32. 34. 1 Thess 1. 10. true if the former be beleived with the heart it will bâ—ing to this Rom 10. 8. 9. 10. 1 Cor. 14. 1. 2. 3. 4. in which we have right to the Tree of life so as to hope in him for the inheritance which hope preserveth in the Faith even to abiding 1 Cor. 15. 19. 20. 23. 1 Tim. 4. 10. supporteth and â—â—eareth in afflictions 2 Cor. 4. 17. 18. and 5. 1. Rom. 2. 17. 18. Heb. 11. 23. 26. and leadeth to persevere to death 2 Tim. 4 7. 8. Heb. 11. 9. 10. 13. c. Yea he that hath this hope in Christ purifyeth himself as he is pure 1 Ioh. 3. 3. and all this enjoyed doing his Commandments as aforesaid nor can we be doing them or entring the Gates thereby unless in beleiving we hold fast this hope Col. 1. 23. Heb. 10. 35. 36. so that without this right we cannot enter through the Gates into this City which leads to mind the last observable which is CHAP. VI. * 5 Observable THat all that desire to enter into the heavenly City and so to eat of the hidden Mannah and of the Tree of life that now is in the midst of the paradise of God and will be in that City when it is come down from Heaven they must if ever they will enter through the Gates into the City of the City when it is come down from Heaven and the Gates as then they shall be that is so glorious and beyond our apprehention only unquestionable because affirmed so it shall be that I may not presume to explain that but as this is spoken not only for our hope but also for our present usefulness and so I may consider of the Gates spiritually as in exercise of Faith to be entred and gone through And so what these Gates now are and they must needs be such as are suitable to the Commandments forementioned For the doing the Commandments to the right end is that we may have right in Christ and so to the Tree of life we may enter and so in doing them is our spiritual entring now so that without doing even these forementioned Commandments no entring nor any right doing them but so far an entring spiritually now and hope of that full entrance into that glorious City after so that in some sort the Commandments and Gates are one and though in outward things this is strange and to our sence could not be yet in Christ and the doctrine of Christ and so in spiritual oneness in many things of this nature is affirmed Ephes 1. 3 16. And whereas Gates are here mentioned in the plural number where as the Gate Door or Way to the Father is one and but one and the same By considering Christ who is one with the Father and we may come to understand both what the Gate is and what these Gates are For As the door by which Christ came and compleated righteousness for us and obtained redemption and prepares a City for us it was one love the will and appointment of the Father 1 Heb. 10. 7. 8. 9. 10. Psal 40. 8. Ioh. 7. 28. and 8. 42. and 10 2. 18. so he as having compleated that righteousness obtained the redemption and the inheritance and is in the vertue of all now mediating for us with God that we in beleiving might partake so he and he only is by the same will and appointment of the Father the one and onely Gate Door and Way for our approach to God for grace and spirit and life c. Ioh. 14. 6. and 10. 7. 9. Ephes 2. 18. Heb. 10. 19. 20. and 7. 25. and 4. 15. 16. yea and with that grace of him to enter into the Church and be profitable to others and yet Jesus Christ coming in by his Fathers will and doing it in compleating his first great work passed through many Gates without which he could not have compleated the will of his Father in that first work as to say taking our nature partaking with us of the Flesh and Blood ' and bebecoming under the Law for us Heb. 2. 14. Iohn 1. 14. Gall. 4. 4. ' And in that body lived by faith immediately on his Fathers power truth and faithfulness that set him about that work Psal 22. 9. 10. Isa 50. 7 8 9. Iohn 8. 29. and 6. 37. ' And in exercise of that faith went through manifold afflictions Isa 52. 14. and 53. 3. ' And persevered to the death even in death giving up his spirit into the hands of his Father Luke 23. 46. ' And then after buried and overcame death and rose in that very body that died and after ascended into Heaven and offered himself in that Body a Sacrifice to God and is now accepted of and glorified with the Fathers own self with the glory he had with the Father before the world was and is now alive for ever more Luke 24. 6. 7. Acts