God made to rule day is but one and its the Sun and yet that light is after one manner in the body of the Sun and after another in the glorious ray and beam the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or shining forth of the Sun in another manner yet in the air illuminated by the beam from the body of the Sun and yet all these but one light not three lights yet that one light hath a threefold manner of subsisting the Sun is not one light and the ray or beam of the Sun another and the clearness or bright shining in the air illuminated through the beam a third but one day light or light of the Sun The Sun is the fountain and generateth or begetteth its â—ray or beam and worketh by it whatever it doth by way of illumination heating quickning c. yet is not the body of the Sun its ray or beam Again the ray is begotten and generated in a sort by the Sun and yet its cotemporary with it It evidences the Sun lives by its dependence on the Sun is in the Sun and the Sun in it after a sort so as that it doth nothing of it self without the Sun nor the Sun without it which comes down from the Sun and is not the body of the Sun nor subsists of it self without the Sun Again the clearness or light difâ—used into the air proceeds from the Sun the fountain of light by with in and through the ray or beam yet is it neither the body of the Sun nor its ray for it is and may be where the ray is not but is intercepted as to the proper substance of it as in a cloudy day or in a room where the Sun beam comes not and yet these cannot be divided one from the other for this clearness cannot be but from and by vertue of the ray and of the Sun So that if either of them were taken away and removed from the Horizon the luster or illumination in the air ceaseth and they cannot be but this is and follows too Here is an unity of light in a threefold way of subsistence by which we may darkly see into the glorious mysterie of Trinity in Unity which no similitude can fully illuminate the Father is as the fountain of the Deity and to the Son or Word as the body of the Sun to its beam not to be seperated from each other or divided so as the one can be without the other though the Father is first in order of nature he of whom are all things and doth all by and nothing without the Son or Word as the Sun doth nothing without its beam The Word or Son in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.2 The brightness or offâ— shining of the Fathers glory Lumen de lumine light shining for discovering and leading up to the fountain of light always with the Father and yet came down from the Father and doth all from him and yet is not the Father but the Son yea and forther as the beam of the Sun may be contracted and as it were so incorporated in a burning glass or the like so as the glass by vertue of the beam and the beam by the glass worketh otherwise then either glass or beam by themselves could have done and yet neither the light nor the body of the Sun is to be so contracted but only the beam so was it with the Son or Word he was imbodied or incarnate in the nature of man and the man Christ Jesus by vertue of the Word so contracted as it were or incorporated in him did such glorious things and got such a glorious conquest over sin death and hell as man of himself â—ould never otherwise have done or gotten nor was the Word in and by it self perfected for and yet neither the Father nor the holy Spirit was so incarnate or made man and yet further the Son had all his vertue in himself from the Father and in the Spirit without which he â—ould do nothing as the ray contracted derives all its vertue that it shews forth in and through the glass from the body of the Sun without which it could neither be nor do any thing The holy Spirit is the power vigor and divine verâ—…e proceeding from the Father that fountain of divine glory from and through the Word by which we have and enjoy the benefit of the Sun and its beam when both of them are otherwise interpreted and clouded out of our sight I mean the Father and the Son even in a day of temptation and spiritual hiding of himself in his more glorious shinings But these things I bring onely to shew that there may be such a thing evidenced even to reason and sense as a three-fold way of subsistence of the same created being that so we might not stumble at that which the Scripture hints to us so abundantly about the Trinity in the Unity of the divine Being Concerning which I needed not to have multiplyed so many words were it not that the old Serpent not abiding in the truth is so prevalent in blinding men and corrupting them from the unerring Oracles of Divine truth to listen rather to the shallowness of their own purblind reason For the Saints are not without experience in themselves did they well mind it of this distinction in the glorious workings and operations of God in and upon themselves in their believing they prove the Father calling them to himself by the Son in the power of his Spirit they have believed the love of the Father in sending forth his Son and in the word of his Gospel they have felt his power and Spirit drawing and inabling them to believe in Christ and to approach by and through him unto the Father according to that Eph. 2.18 We both that is Jew and Gentile have access through him to wit Christ by one Spirit unto the Father namely to call upon him trust in him and have fellowship with him Indeed they that depart from the Son they both lose the operations of his divine Spirit and fall from the right worship of the Father into Heathenism or such philosophical speculations of God and of his Being as were found with the ancient Heathens that had not the light of the Gospel to instruct them and no marvel then if they fall from or deny the mysterie of the Trinity as in the Apostolical doctrine is held forth with those divine operations that should evidence the truth thereof unto them But now to return again to the matter whereto I was exhorting viz. the doctrine of the Gospel to be held forth to men as it supposes the Being of God and he but one though thus distinguished so is it not only the bare affirming him to be but one or in that Unity so as before to be distinguished that 's to be delared but his Name according to that Unity and distinction the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost viz. how God
him not love in â—ord and tongue but heart love doth God require and where that is the eye will follow as â—he look thereof may be also both a mean to produce it and to nourish it and therefore he adds And let thine eye observe my wayes It s a vain thing to give thine eye without thine heart they see little or nothing when the heart is busied another way and not intentive to minde what thou beholdest with thine eye and where the eye is withdrawn from Gods wayes and espyes beauty in some other things the heart will be soon corrupted also therefore God calls for both for the heart first as the principal and then for the eye as the consequent of the hearts love and as a means to bring on nourish it in love He hath given thee his Son and in him received by thee thou hast his heart for the Father himself loves you because ye have loved me saith Christ and have believed that I came out from him Joh 16 27. thou art beloved by him in his beloved one and what a good exchange is this to have Gods heart for thineâ— to give him thy heart and receive his what a low requital is this for Gods heart that man give up to God his heart and yet this is the greatest man can give and the greatest that God requires And this is no other thing but what his love and heart discovered to us draws back again from us and leads us to return but because He sees that there are other suiters for it he is the more watchful over us and promps us in that his Grace requires by his written Word too and calls us to a more wist and earnest view and consideration or him in all his wayes towards us and of all his wayes prescribed by him for our walking before him Looking we say begets loving and love begets looking again and so there is a mutual intercourse of heart and eye give him thine heart and then thine eye will the readilier follow give him thine eye and let that observe his Paths and so shall thine heart be preserved chast with him too Consider and mind his love to thee in Christ in his gift of him and cost he was at there for thee the way he took to buy and sanctifie thee to himself and that will break thy heart and make thee willing that he should have it that gave so much of his to thee for it It s mens being taken with other beauties and so looking off from his that makes them slack in their love toward him Remember how thou hast heard and learnt and repent and do thy first works says he therfore to some who had lost their first love Rev. 2.3 that 's the way to recover their love again to call to mind how they have heard and learnt of him and if that be the way to recover love when lost then sure its the way too to preserve it before it be lost that it may not be lost Cleave then to him and his wayes with full purpose of heart and take heed that thou never deniest him that bought thee for that would be a most unloving and ungrateful part of thee Worship none but God in Christ in whom he hath loved thee and in the Spirit he hath given thee own no other name or object of confidence delight and satisfaction Follow not after other lovers and especially if thou wouldst have thine heart intire with him beware of two Corrivals especially that will sollicite thee 1. The world in its objects of profit honor pleasure c. let not thine eye look too wistly on its beauty lest thou lust after it for it will deceive thee And 2. The spirit of error presenting another name and doctrine then that once delivered to the Saints and promising greater liberties and advantages and spiritual glory to thee for as both of them so especially this latter may be and are in Scripture compared to a whorish woman James 4 4. Rev. 17.5 And a whore is a deep ditch and a strange woman is as a narrow pit Prov. 23.27 If thou fallest into her she will surely drown thee They that will be rich and that make themselves friends to the world in its pleasures and satisfactions here ingage God against themselves 1 Tim 6 9. and plunge themselves into snares and temptations and so drown themselves in destruction and perdition and they that have itching ears after Fables and doctrines of devils take not heed to the Apostolical Doctrine lose themselves in them being so infatuated through the strength of them that they arrive at last too at damnation by denying the Lord that bought them 2 Thes 2.10,11,12 2 Pet. 2.1 For few or none that go into her return again neither take they hold of the paths of life Prov. 2.19 Take heed therefore to your selves and beware of this spiritual adultery let not thine heart desire to eat their dainties for though they may say stoln waters are sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant yet know thou that the dead are there and their ghests in the depth of hell Prov. 9 17,18 Look thou then right forward to the things that God sets before thee in Christ and let not thine heart depart from him Desire more to know him and to enjoy his presence and fellowship with him and seek it not in thine own way but in his and when thou findest him â—old him fast and delight thy self in him and â—ever let his Truth depart from thee but let â—hy meditation â—t all times be sweet concerning â—im and thy desight day and night in his Law and Doctrine 3. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and â—…an not to thine own understanding Pro. 3 5. He â—s worthy to bedepended on and trusted in at â—ll times and in all things for this life and that â—o come for teaching strengthning directing â—…pporting supplying comforting saving For 〈◊〉 him the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength â—…i 26.4 So that there is nothing too hard or â—…fficult for him to do that may concern thy welfare nor is there any unrighteousness or unfaithfulness in him Psal 92.15 He hath so richly â—nd abundantly already prevented us with his â—ove and mercy and given us so to behold his righteousness displayed in his Gospel as may challenge our most stedfast confidence in him and dependance on him for the performance of â—ll that further favour and mercy that is needful â—nd good for us and is promised by him Hath â—e not given his Son for us according to his anâ—ient saying by the mouth of his holy Prophets ye a hath he not also called and brought us to his Son and given us him to be ours our lot our portion our Prince and Captain of salvation our High Priest and Advocate c. and shall we not trust in him then for other things shall he not with him give us all things else that he hath spoken of and provided in
Son Jesus Christ Acts 14.15 as the fountain of and the proper way to that life and salvation See the sum of it in 1 Tim. 2.5,6 That there is one God and one mediatour between God and man the man Christ Jesus Who hath given himself a ransome for All as an evidence of Gods good will to All that he would have all men to be saved and to come to know the truth This ye are to hold forth unto men that there is a God to be adored worshipped submitted tâ— trusted in and served the author of our life and breath and all things the fountain of bliss and happiness and that this God is one in Essence mind purpose faithfulness and so that All other powers that the Heathens have fancied and adored are Idols vanities and confusion all things empty and too weak to save or satisfie besides him that eternal life and happiness consists in the true knowledge and enjoyment of him And yet this unity of the Godhead is so to be held forth that the Trinity therein also may be acknowledged otherwise men shall not rightly apprehend or worship him according to the Christian Faith and Doctrine Concerning which let me a little declare my mind to you though it may seem a Digression because mens errour hereabout I find to be often an inlet to many other evil false conceptions I know some make that Trinity or threefoldness in the Divine being but only a threefold denomination of the same personal subsistence and that there is no other distinction between Father Word and Spirit but only in that diversity of denomination which appears to be an evident falshood in this that by the same rule that God the Father Word and Spirit is called three because they are three denominations He might be called seven or ten or more there being many other denominations in the Scripture given to him as Jehovah Lord of Hosts Jah Elohim Ehjeh Eloah Adonaâ— the Almighty and divers others but yet he is not said to be so many as he hath denominations given him in any part of Scripture Besides different denominations of the same person or personal subsistence may be convertibly predicated of one another as where the same man is Father and Son Husband and Master and Magistrate in divers respects there it may be said the Master is the Father and the Father is Governour c. but so it cannot be said of these three the Father the Son and the holy Ghost The Scripture never says the Father is the Son or the Father is the holy Ghost or the holy Ghost is the Father or the Word or Son is the Father though God is a Spirit and Christ an everlasting Father in regard of us yet not the Father of the only begotten Son nor is the Father the Spirit sent by the Father and yet these three are but one and the same God A great mysterie it is I confess and such as passes expression fully to declare and open yet a truth it is that the Scriptures many ways attest both in the Prophetical and Apostolical writings Moses hints it in speaking of God plurally and yet joyning that plural word with a singular verb as when he says Elohim Bara the Gods or the Mighties he created Heaven and Earth c. And again Nahashu let us make man in our Image plurally and yet by and by he changes the phrase and speaks in the singular number God or the Mighties made man in his Image with which agrees divers other phrases as that in Psal 149.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let Israel rejoyce in his makers and that in Eccles 12.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remember thy Creators in the days of thy youth and the like in Job 35.10 and yet more fully in 2 Sam. 7.23 what one people in the earth is like to thy people Israel whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbatim The Gods went to redeem to himself The words that we translate God and went being both of the plural number and yet the prâ—noun relative that is added is singular to himself not to themselves The two former words plainly intimating the plurality in way of subsistence and the singular pronoun the unity in Essence which also is held forth in Gods appearing unto Abraham in which he appeared as three men and Abraham sometimes speaks to him as one and sometime in the plural number as to more Gen. 18. Whence some Hebrew Doctors have also written thus upon the word Elohim which is usually translated God See Ainsw in Gen. 1. Come and see the mysterie of the word Elohim there are three degrees and every degree by it self alone and yet notwithstanding they are all one and joyned together in one and are not divided one from another These places with divers others as to instance one more that in Deut. 6.5 Hear O Israel the Lord thy Almighties is one Lord intimate a plurality in unity but other places express that plurality to be a Trinity or threefoldness in unity as that in Psalm 33.6 By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host thereof by the breath of his mouth or by the Spirit of his mouth for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both So that there we have mentioned the Lord Jehovah his Word and Spirit as the like we may see also in Isa 42.1,2 Behold my servant whom I uphold which is spoken of the word made Flesh Jesus Christ Mat. 12. who though he was in the form of God and counted it no robbery to be equal with him yet emptyed himself and came in the form of a servant Phil. 2.6,7 c. Mine elect in whom my soul delighteth I have pat my spirit upon him c. there is the Father held forth under that word I my he whose servant Christ became and whose elected and delightful Son he is and there 's the Son as before was noted and the Spirit of the Father put upon him The like expressions of the Trinity sce again Isa 11.1,2 and 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me there is the Lord Jehovah the Father and Me that is the Word as incarnate and made flesh and the Spirit or holy Ghost put upon Christ which things are yet more clearly opened in the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles as is to be seen in Mat. 3.17 where we have this Trinity distinctly named Christ baptized the holy Ghost descending upon him visibly in the appearance of a Dove and the Father speaking out of heaven and owning him for his beloved Son Here was more then a threefold denomination of one personal subsistence the Father and Son here are plainly distinguished for he says not of himself I am the beloved Son but of Christ this is my beloved Son c. In 2 John 3. he is distinguished plainly from him Grace and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father c. See the like in Col.
2.2 God the Father and Christ as also the distinct applications of those words Begetting and Begotten Sending and being Sent with divers others argue the sending forth of Christ as the begetting him is always attributed to the Father the Father sent the Son the Saviour of the world and God have his only begotten Son it s never said nor were it proper to say the Father sent himself or the Son sent himself much less that God sent the Father or the like where there is distinction of sending and being sent begetting and being begotten there is more then difference in denomination for though the same may be denominated in divers respects Father and Son and Husband and Master as we said before yet it s improper to say that the Father begat the Son speaking but of the same in divers respects both Father and Son or that the Father sent the Master or Son when he that is all these in divers respects comes himself being sent of none other then himself Beside its never said the Father was made flesh or the Father suffered for our sins or delivered up himself for our offences but it s often said the Father made his Son an offering for our sins God delivered up Christ for our offences raised him exalted him c. which argues plainly that there is more then a nominal distinction between them as also that Christ is said not to have thought it robbery to be equal with God Now where there is equality there is distinction too for its improper to say of the same indistinct thing that its equal to its self yea Christ himself though he saith his Father and he are one John 10.30 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnum one Essence or thing not Vnus one personal subsistence or one in way of subsisting yet he speaks of himself and Father as of two witnesses I am one that bear witness of my self and my Father that sent me beareth witness of me John 8.18 And to say no more its evident in this that the word was made flesh and so is become man too There is one God and one Mediatour of God and men the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 And God will judge the world by that man whom he hath appointed Acts 17.31 But the Father is never affirmed to be man nor could Christ be Mediatour of God and man if not in something distinct from either as well as in something one with either And so for the Spirit it is clearly in that of Mat. 3. and the other places of Isaiah before mentioned distinguished from both Father and Son and is further proved to be so by that of our Saviour John 14.16,17 I will pray the Father and he shall send you another Comforter the Spirit of Truth where all the three are again mentioned and clear distinctions between each of them from other hinted I will pray the Father there 's Father and Son between whom were there no Distinction that phrase were very improper If the Son be the Father he should rather only have said I will send another Comforter then I will pray the Father and he shall send c. and there is the Spirit distinct from both both from him that said he would pray and him to whom he would pray from the Father for he is to send him and is prayed to for him from the Son who prays the Father to send him for he expresly cals him another Comforter that is another from or besides himself that was then with them The Spirit of Truth that is of the Son for the Son is the Truth and is to be glorified by him as in Chap. 16.13,14 When the Spirit is come he shall not speak of himself but he shall glorifie me How shall not he speak of himself it he be Christ of whom he should speak and whom he should glorifie where note by the way that the Spirit that speaks of himself and not of Christ leading the soul to understand the things of Christ and to glorifie him is not â—he true and right Spirit sent forth by Christ â—ut not to inlarge further in this matter what â—…ore plain then that commission â—o Disciple all Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or all the Gentiles Baptizing them into the â—ame of the Father and of the Son â—all of the holy Ghost The Name not names â—nd denominations but one Name Power Auâ—ority and Jurisdiction of Father Son and Spiâ—it now what needs this Distinct repeating of â—ather Son and holy Ghost if no distinction â—nt in denomination be put between them â—how can it be said as in 1 John 5.7 that they â—re three witnesses There are three that bear â—itness in heaven the Father the Word and the â—oly Ghost and these three are one Where the â—ord again is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if they were one in way â—f subsisting or personality as they use to â—eak but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hi tres â—mum sunt these three are one thing one being 〈◊〉 Essence one God but yet three in regard of â—ersonality so as the notes of persons I and â—hou and He may distinctly and frequently â—re in Scripture applyed to them I shall not â—ention that in Rev. 1.4,5 with divers other â—laces to this busines but shall a little further â—pen my conceptions about this so high a busiâ—…ess And so I understand that the Father is the fountain of the Deity as it is in the Son but is not the Son but hath begotten him and giveâ— to him to have life in himself and hath spoken by him and so the Godhead is in the Father aâ— the fountain of Divine power The Son is the Word the essential eternal Word of the Father and so God as flowing from and manifesting the Father who in himself and otherwise then by the Son or Word is not to be known oâ— seen into The divine out-streaming wisdome by whom the Father that fountain of Divine glory put forth his Divine vertue and Created all things and upholds them and hath revealed and declared himself to men who also in due time for the sake of man turned away and fallen from him was Incarnate by the power of God and incorporated in the seed of David according to the flesh and so became also a man and in the nature of man by the heavenly flowing forth of his Divine doctrine and by the things undergon by and accomplished in him he opened represented and declared to us the Father and so the Son is as the flowing or out speaking of the Father and the Spirit is the same divine being but as in both and proceeding from both the power vertue and force that is in and worketh or acteth forth it self from both from the fountain by the stream so as that the Father worketh all things through the Son by the Spirit We may somewhat illustrate it by this comparison as I humbly conâ—eive of it .. The Light that
hath manifested himself and is to be believed in in each of these as that this one God by his Word and Spirit having made and created all things for man and man in his own Image deserved and required to be obeyed and honoured by man but man sinning and therefore falling under his displeasure and making himself thereby unable to please him and unfit for fellowship with him by reason of that unspeakable pollution that hath overspread him God was yet pleased in the greatness of his mercy and freeness of his love to find out a way to recover us again and a way by which we might return back again unto him So as that both his justice and displeasure against sin might clearly be demonstrated and yet his goodness and love too toward sinful mankind be magnified which was by appointing and sending forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law so being found in shape as a man a reall man to bear in his body the punishment of our sin the sin of the world and so to give himself a ransome for all That this his Son the Word made flesh as was long before even from the beginning of the world fore-prophecied of him is now come already and hath taken upon him in the body that was prepared for him the burthen and cause of man and as a publike man given himself a ransome for All induring the Death and undergoing that sentence of curse and condemnation that by the offence of one came upon All men and that for All and hath in grapling with that death and sin overcome them so that God hath raised and justified him in the behalf of all so as he may also see the justificatian of all that do and shall believe on him To which purpose also viz. that men might in believing on him have him for their justification the Father hath glorified him in the nature and behalf of mankind making him Lord of all and his salvation to the end of the earth giving him all fulness of Authority and Power and filling him with all the fulness of the Godhead bodily even the fulness of Divine Spirit Power and Vertue yea also appointing and ordaining him as Mediator to stand in the Vertue of his Death and Sacrifice between God and men as the propitiation for them even for our sins that believe and not ours onely but also of the whole world 1 John 2.1,2 So as that with respect to him and what he hath done and suffered for sin he is good and patient and bountiful to the whole world not withstanding they sin yea and hath sent out his Gospel to be published to them all without limitation or restriction viz. that though this his Son there is forgiveness for them and he would have them saved and to that purpose come to the acknowledgement of the truth yea He to wit Christ is He in whom all the world or any of them may find favor and come into favor with God again so as to be at one with him namely by acknowledging his Truth and believing on him who also is appointed by his teaching them as a Prophet by his ruling them in righteousness and writing his Law in them and subduing their enemies as a King and Lawgiver and Judge over them and by mediating the new Covenant or Advocating and making intercession as the great High-Priest to the utmost to save all them of the sons of men that see and believe on him and so judge his and their enemies that that hate his Light and reject his â—endred mercy to condemnation to which end he shall at the time appointed of the Father come again and raise and judge both the one and the other as they have here behaved themselves towards him That as the Father hath put his Spirit upon Christ so they are to submit unto Christ in his Word and Ordinances and look unto and wait therein for this his Spirit upon him as he that is Power of God that is to bring down or effect in man that salvation that is in Christ Jesus set forth to them the Renewer Sanctifier Teacher Comforter and therefore to be heard sought after received and obeyed by men in the power of which they are to worship the Father through the Son and in the receit and indwelling of whom they shall finde and experiment the streams of that Fountain of Life that flows from the Father or rather that the Father is in and through the Son yea God himself by his Spirit to dwell in them and to set up his Kingdom in them in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost to the full possession and revelation of which in and upon them this Divine Spirit in such their listning to following after and obeying him will not fail to bring them Sect. 7. A Caveat against some mens preposterous mistakes about the Doctrines of Election and Reprobation THis then is the brief summ of the Doctrine to be held forth to the world in which we may hopefully expect and look for the assistance and operation of the Spirit to convince them of the good will of God toward them and therein of their sin for not believing on him Joh. 6.11 that hath done so much for them and is so appointed and fitted of God for saving them And of Righteousness both that all the righteousness they have of their own is empty and will not avail them otherwise no need for Christ to have died for them and also that in him is everlasting righteousness worthy to be looked after and certain in that their looking to him for it to be met with by them And of Judgement that their own self-justifications will not serve them nor their own self-condemnations so valid as remedilesly to cast them but to his doom they must stand by whom the Prince of the world is judged and they must receive their final sentence from him who is able in case of their believing on him to absolve them from all self-condemnings and in case of their disobedience against him and the Will of his Father to destroy them however their own thoughts and other men have hitherto justified them Yea in this Doctrine we may hopefully expect the holy Spirit to draw in and allure the convinced to hope in him and believe on him and therefore this hold ye forth to them and to the furtherance of this let all your conversations and walkings be directed as becoms the children of such a Father the members of such a Head as the Lord Jesus and as the Temples of the holy Ghost that they that are apt to slight the Word may yet be woon to glorifie it by the goodness of your conversation And beware I pray of that preposterous way that some run into who through mistake or unbelief of the Gospel delivered to us by the holy Apostles according to the commandment of the everlasting God and through the exercise of their own reason with the mistaking of some
condition it s an easie thing to be circumvented by him such high expressions such glorious speeches such enticing and swelling words though full of vanity to a spiritual discerning because they have not the bread of Life the foundation of our hope in them with whom are they not taking The consideration of which having pressed me forward to the writing and publishing of this small Treatise in which though I be but weak I have endeavoured according as by Covenant I am bound for the rooting out of Error and heresie in my place and calling though not primely upon that consideration to prevent the spreading of this grand infection that though I have little hopes of reducing those that are corrupted yet I might be a means to stablish some that are wavering and prevent their falling I have chosen as to the Saints in general so to you in particular to Dedicate and present it out of that respect I bear to you and the good that 's in you and sense of obligation upon me toward you Desirng God ever to guide and preserve you And you yet to account me Ladies Your Servant in the Gospel JOHN HORN Lin Novemb. 2. 1650. To the Congregation of the first born yet warring on earth whose names are written in heaven and particularly to those of them that I minister unto at Lin c. grace mercy and peace from God our Father and from Jesus Christ our Lord. Brethren YOu cannot but know that the Church of God is in Scripture resembled to a natural body wherein are many members united to each other and to one head and by one Spirit growing up in exact unity now as in the natural body there may be many infirmities and many things are liable to offend and hurt it so also is it in this mystical sometimes it may be subject to distempers by nauseous crude undigested humours the want of thorow closing with and drinking in divine truths or the drinking in untruths may occasion a surfeit and aversation from truth sometimes flatuous and windy humours of pride high-mindedness and lying spirits getting into some of its members may distemper it sometimes feavourish heats of violent headiness instead of wel-tempered zeal for God and godliness may inflame it and sometimes the cold aguish or palsie humours of deadness in benummedness to Spiritual motions in its tendency to its spiritual and supream end may so seize upon it as much to impair its strength and to appearance bring it nigh to death But God whose Temple it is hath provided for it against such distempers and dangers both meat and medicine to feed and cure it As Christ himself is the prime and great tree of life in whom the word is so united to the humanity that the humanity was ever in all times of Winter blasts and Sommer droughts refreshed and upheld thereby and made glorious fruitful and his fruits are good and prosperous fit to feed and his Leaves full of vertue to heal the Nations So is every one that through grace is brought to believe in Christ and gathered up into unity with Christ and lives upon the word of Christ Psal 1.3 as a tree planted by the waters side Jer. 17.7,8 Even one of those trees of life that grow upon the banks of that great river of the knowledge of God in Christ that proceeds from out his sanctuary and runs from beside the Altar or sacrifice of Christ and under the threshold the Gospel and its Ordinances holding forth Christ Ezek. 47.1.2.12 whose fruit is for meat and its leaf for medicine The lips of the righteous feed many and their fruit is as a tree of life Prov. 10,21 and 11.30 the doctrine they receive from Christ is a wholsome doctrine 1 Tim. 6 3.4 and full of healing by which they are more and more rooted into and united with Christ till they all grow up into such a close and full union with him that the many trees on the banks of that river Rev. 22.2 be made perfectly but one on both sides of that river Eph. 4.13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith and acknowledgement of the Son of God unto a perfect man Now I knowing that in this body there are at present as at other times not only many inward weaknesses but also many things from without indangering it yea that many parts of it are sorely laid open to infections from divers that seem to be of it or converse with it though I be less then the least of all Saints yet according to the measure of the gift of Christ given me I have endeavoured to administer that that I have from the head which may make for its strength and nourishment yea and to hold forth such of his Leaves supplied to me by his good hand as may either prevent or cure the infections feared desiring that we may all so press after further knowledge of and growth in Christ as that yet we may be kept from imbracing false Christs and from being snared by the poison of those false Prophets who instead of hastening mens growth up into Christ which they pretend do secretly and subtilely corrupt men from the simplicity that is in Christ as if a man by stretching of a twig to make it grow longer should pull and sever it from the body of the tree upon which it groweth As for the mind to be without knowledge is not good so he that hasteth with his feet sinneth Prov 19.2 I desire that what I present to you in love and for your good may be taken in good part and soberly considered by you and that what you see to suit with and proceed from that good spirit of God that is but one and the same in all ages and gives unity to the body in all its memberly differences may be received and held fast by you and if in any thing you see either further or better then I impart of your measure also to me that we may grow up together by that which every joynt supplieth all holding fast and not letting go the head from whence we receive the right and true spirit that will give us to increase So shall our feet abide within the gates of Jerusalem and the Lord himself shall dwell amongst us shall judge rule and teach us and in his teaching we shall not be vainly puft up with a carnal mind like those bodies that are puft up with unwholsome humours but grow solidly fat and well-liking and shew that he is gratious and that there is no deceit or unrighteousness in him To him and the word of his grace which is able to build you up and give you the inheritance I commit you with my self being The meanest of your Brethren and companions in the way of Salvation J. HORN The Contents Chap. 1. A Description of real Saints Pag. 1 Sect. 1. Who are not such ibid. 2. Who are p. 7 Chap. 2. Of the estate of Saints p. 11 Sect. 1. More generally their
headlong for God saith not Ye need no miâ—stration or instruction by any men because of the unction in you for then it had been needless for the Apostle to have writ to them he might as well have spared that pains in regard of them but he says they needed not that any teach them but as that anointingt taught them â—hat that suited not with it but was besides it and â—ew to it another doctrine and light then that â—hey had received from the beginning not agreeâ—ng with that such teaching they had no need of â—n abiding in what they had received and been â—aught they should be saved I have instanced these two places that none might mistake them and abuse them as I know some do and to prevent your falling into the â—emptation of Satan when comming to any in such a way Surely my friends if you think whatever spirit comes unto your hearts and hints in â— otions and doctrines or conceptions or brings â—ny Scripture or Promise it s the Spirit of God â—e are much mistaken and may quickly be led â—nto a delusion as many that attend to such moâ—ions and flashes of joy and light and have not â—he Word of God abiding in them with underâ—tanding usually are I wish there be not too â—any of you that have had some gratious opeâ—ations upon your hearts and of you that acâ—ount your selves Saints and in a sure conditiâ—n taken in this snare of Satan learn so to lean on God as not to live upon means and run out inordinately after them where God affordâ— them not nor yet to despise his wayes and means when afforded presuming that God wiâ—… keep you safe and leave you right without them believe in God but do not tempt himâ— And where both of these are escaped beware oâ— the third in which 3. He set upon Christ to worship him that 〈◊〉 might have the glory and dignity of the worlâ— given him a strong and impetuous temptationâ— and oftentimes takeing where the other two arâ— avoided as they that are like the seed in Thornâ— ground go further then the other two groundâ— A temptation to Coveteousness Vain-glory anâ— Ambition to be great amongst men and this being suited to our sense and natural inclinations taketh often with those that have attained to much Satan knowing how to make all attainments contribute something to pride and highâ— mindedness which the more it s fed the more 〈◊〉 setteth open the soul to entertain such advantâ—ges as suit therewith Against this the Apostâ—… John writing to children young men and fâ—thers opposes this advice and counsel Love nâ—… the world nor the things of this world for the loâ—… of the world and of the Father stand not together 1 Joh. 2.16,17 But because this is not so subtâ—… though oftentimes more catching then the foâ—mer from its pleasingness to flesh as also because I toucht upon it before in the preceding Chapter I shall not inlarge so much upon it this being not faln into so much for want of discerning as by love of carnal worldly injoyment of earthy satisfaction or excellency and so needs â—ot so many words to discover it as to perâ—wade men not to listen to but avoid it Sect. 4. Of the main drift of Satan in all his Temptations THe subtilty and sedulity of Satan may appear by what is said as also some of hâ—… wiles and methods but now what is his driâ—… and design in tempting would be a little furtheâ— considered it s far otherwise then the mind anâ— end of God in suffering him to tempt God aimâ— at the triall and purging of us and so at our benefit but Satan at nothing less then to devoâ— us by alienating our souls from God in the knowledge and enjoyment of whom consisâ— our happiness And because he knows that Goâ— is not to be known and enjoyed but only in anâ— through Christ even that Jesus of Nazareâ— who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh though the Lord of David as being the Son of God according to the Spirit because he is the only maker up of the breach between God and man the only propitiation foâ— our sins by and in the vertue of his Death anâ— Sacrifice the onely Mediator of God and maâ— the onely way unto the Father by whom as bâ— hath offered up himself through the eternal Spirit a spotless Sacrifice we may have access unto and acceptance with him the onely bread of Life that God hath given us from heaven to feed upon the great Witness and Evidence of Gods Love and Goodness to us the express Character and lively Image of his Person in a word the only Saviour appointed of God to us in the vertues of his once offered Sacrifice able not only to justifie us at the first but also perfectly to save us therefore he makes it his main business in order to the alienating men from God and depriving them of eternal happiness to turn or keep men out from believing on him even as the Serpent beguiled Eve so doth this wicked one indevour to beguil souls now corrupting their minds or thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the simplicity that is in him from their single looking to God in and through him Now how did the Serpent beguil Eve but by perswading her that their living by faith in the Word of God and in observance of the way of God was a blind low kind of living but would she be ruled by him and listen to his counsel they should attain to a much better condition live a life of Knowledge like to God and not in such a subjection to and dependance on God even so as the Apostle intimates 2 Cor. 11.2,3 Satan now seeks to deceive by insinuating into mens thoughts that the Death Sacrifice and Mediation of Christ are but low simple things fit only for Novices and new beginners to live upon and the living by faith in him and in submission to his Doctrine and Ordinances a poor despicable way of living that keeps men in blindness and subjects them to many exercises and temptations from which would they listen to his counsels he would soon free them and bring them to a more godlike condition Thus withdraws he mens souls from Christ and leads them either wholly to sleight and trample upon him to loath the feeding constantly upon him as if he was as the murmuring Israelites said of their Manna but a light bread and to account the blood of the Covenant but a common poor thing and so to itch and covet after some more sensual satisfaction or else to joyn something else with him as the matter of their souls feeding and bottome of their confidence towards God and way of approaching to him as if there was not the fulness of God in him or as if he was not compleat nor had done so much in and by his one once offered Sacrifice as that in and with the vertues of it he is perfectly furnished for leading
freeing not onely the spirits of the Saints from thraldome in a first fruits but their bodies also from death and corruption which is called the redemption of our bodies Rom 8.23 When every eye shall see him c. Rev. 1.7 When all that are in their graves shall come forth some to the resurrection of life others to the resurrection of condemnation c. Joh. 5.29 When all the Saints together shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and be for ever with him 1 Thes 4.16,17 Now as these men deny this his glorious personal coming turning all so well as their wits will serve them and their Father help them into an Allegory so in these two things they grossly err 1. In thinking that persons to whom Christ hath come by his Spirit and whom he hath raised and quickned up to a lively hope as in the first sense are thereby above Ordinances and not bound to attend them for indeed then are they fittest to use them and will be most profitable or profited in attending on God in them Besides we finde the Apostles and other Primitive Believers of another way and judgement when the Spirit was poured upon Cornelins and his houshold that exempted them not from the outward Baptism Acts 10.48 nor were the Apostles themselves exempted from solemn prayers and fasting breaking of bread Preaching the VVord c. even after the holy Ghost was poured upon them and Christ by his Spirit dwelt with them as is plain in Acts 4.24,31 and 6.4,6 and 13.1,3 and 14.23 yea Wo to me saith Paul even after the holy Ghost was shed abundantly upon him Tit. 3 6. if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 and the Bread saith he that we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ and the Cup that we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 yea in 1 Cor. 12.13 We are all baptized saith he by or in one spirit into one body and have been made to drink into one Spirit and Chap. 6.11 they were washed justified sanctified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God but what were they all above Ordinances therefore no matter for observing them No such matter but they are yet ordered about their eating the Lords Supper yea and such as whose election in the sanctification of the Spirit is affirmed are exhorted by the Apostles to Prayer to attend on Prophesying to stand fast hold the traditionâ— such as the Supper of the Lord is called 1 Cor. 11.25 received from them either by word or writing 2 Thes 2.13,14,15 Many other like passages thou mayst finde in the Apostles Writings which they writ to preserve the Churches from sin and error which may discover the falseness of that conception Yet 2. They err much worse in that confounding the coming of Christ in Spirit to the spirits 〈◊〉 men in particular with the great Day of the Lord when he shall come to the destruction of ungodly men and the utmost salvation of all that have believed on him the Kingdom of God in the hearts of men in this Day of which Christ spake to the Pharisees Luke 17.20,21 that it comes not with observation and that it is in men yea in the Pharisees working and tendring it self to their hearts though rejected by them but filling those that receive it with righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost with the glorious Kingdom of Christ which he â—s gone to receive and which shall be set up or made manifest in the world at his great coming when he shall judge the quick and dead 2 Tim. â— 1 of which he spake to his Disciples Luke 17.21,22,23 they apply to themselves as already â—…ne in and upon them those things that are proper to that great Day of his destroying the â—…eat hope and expectation of the Saints which 〈◊〉 that great and glorious appearing Tit. 2.13 denying and mocking at that his visible and glorious coming yea and where their principle 〈◊〉 somewhat throughly improved denying the Resurrection or Redemption of the body and â—…ying the Resurrection all thats to be hoped â—or or met with is here accomplished which we â—…all speak more fully to in the proper place and â—…casion Onely now I would have thee minde that they are strongly deluded herein and that they are of those that our Saviour there doth warn us of that say Lo here lo there see here in us and to us Christ is come and the day of the Lord is revealed with us or with such and such persons the Judgement is over the mystery is fulfilled the world is at an end and we are iâ— possession of our glory though others yet are not Believe them not saith our Saviour neither go after them for that coming of the Soâ— of man shall be as visible and evident in a moment as the lightning that shines from one enâ— of the heavens unto the other end thereof iâ— shall be open and manifest to all Luke 17.22 23. Every eye shall see him even those that havâ— pierced him and all the families of the eartâ— shall wail over him Rev. 1.7 As the bringing in and alteration of former dispensations or administrations of his Kingdom have been witnessed and evidenced by notorious Demonstrations oâ— Gods Authority and presence so shal this last alâ— teration be more visible and notorious then thâ— rest When God gave the Law of Moses he did iâ— in a solemn manner with the voyces of thunderings and lightnings the shaking of the earth c. by which he owned and confirmed it as of him and when he took away that administration and brought in his onely Son and the Ordinance of the Kingdom in its present external administration he owned and attested his altering the former and bringing this in by the gift of tongues and by many wonders and signs and divers powerful works and distributions of the Holy Ghost Heb. 2.3 And when the time of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken of by the mouth of his Prophets shall come and when he shall send his Son Jesus Christ again Acts 7.21,22 whom the heavens till then must contain to take an account of all men how they have submitted to him in the former administrations of his Truth and Grace amongst them and to render to every man according to his works shall that be hidden and done now to this man and then to that no man sees how without any poblike evidence to the world No no that shall be most powerfully and to the world with greatest solemnity declared so as none shall be thereof ignorant but all flesh shall see his salvation unto is people together and those that have rebelled shall be with wondrous terror delivered over to their eternal destruction The heavens shall be on a flame or the elements melt with fervent heat 2 Pet. 3.7,10,12 even these heavens and elements and the host of them that
and to lead them into all truth Heb. 8.9,10,11 That he will pardon their sins accept them watch over them gather them in his arms lead and feed them c. Isai 27.2,3 and 40.11,12 Of the other sort are the full and finall deliverances of them from all adversity temptation opposition and evil giving them full firm and free peace and the possessing them of all the fulness of his glory in Jesus Christ the full and open knowledge of God in everlasting life to see as they are seen and be like to Jesus Christ in the enjoyment of fellowship with God and the consolations and satisfactions of God c. Concerning which consider a little first who are the proper heires of them to whom they are made and secondly what the time of their fulfilling Sect. 2. Of the Heirs or Object to whom the Promises are made THe heirs of the Promises of God even as the subjects of the Election to the injoyment of them is primarily Christ and then secondarily in and through him Saints by calling or Believers in him That Christ is firstly the Heir of the Promise is clear from Gal. 3.16,17 The Promise was to Abraham and his seed to Abraham by vertue of his seed he saith not unto seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ And again the Promise was fore-confirmed of God unto Christ He is the heir of all things and principally of the Promises of God especially those of eternal Life as he is the Elect of God chosen to be his holy One without blame before him for ever and the Son of his Love the receptacle of the fulness of his Blessing Secondly As any are of God called and by the grace discovered and working in the Call brought unto and into Christ so they become to be heirs in and with Christ reckoned after Christ as in Gal. 3.27,28,29 So many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ and if ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and â—…irs according to Promise Abrahams seed not another but one seed still as in unity with Christ for ye saith he are all one in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female bond nor free c. The sons of the flesh either of Adam or of Abraham are not as such the sons of God nor inheritors of the Promises but they that are born of the Spirit and are in Christ Jesus they and they onely not the Law neither and its seed are the chosen of God to this great dignity to be heirs of his Promises Whence also it follows that men come to partake of and to enjoy the Promises by Faith in Jesus Christ In him all the Promises of God are yea and amen to the praise and glory of God 2 Cor. 1.20 A man abiding and continuing in him and his Word shall meet with supply and provision here so far as God sees good and needful for this life support also and spirit from God to inable him to the incounter and to give him the victory and shall inherit eternal glory On the contrary If any draw back his soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10.38 He deprives himself thereby of his own mercy if any man throw down his weapons and yield to Satan neglecting himself of or renouncing the Son of God to whom he was called and through whose bloud he was sanctified he puts himself out of the way of the Promises they are not to any Yea and Amen out of Christ but in him nor to nay simply as men but as men in Christ or as believing men In which believing we meet with the power of God to salvation 1 Pet 1.5 and not beside it The consideration of which is but a motive to draw us to eye Christ and to fight the good fight of Faith while we look upon it as the condition to which the Promises appertain and as men are therein the heirs of them and also a terror to drive or curb rather and bridle to keep in aw from listening to Flesh and Satan to depart from Christ and from the Faith seeing that is the way to deprive our selves of his Promises no room for diffidence here in this way of eying Christ nor yet for carelesness and presumption as if no need to eye him The promise of the Spirit runs thus If ye love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the Father and he shall send you another Comforter even the Spirit of Truth c. Sect. 3. Of the time of the full fulfilling of the Promises THe time of the performance of the Promises is various Some as we have noted are performed and to be met with here in our warfare viz. those of Provision and Protection c. but other promises are reserved till the victory be compleated till we have fought our fight and finished our course and even then also it may be and is as yet reserved or laid up for a further day Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day 2 Tim. 4.8 That great Day the Day of his appearance with all his holy Ones that 's the day of the full reward In the mean time it is true and we may find it so that upon particular combats and victories there may be and sometimes are particular rewards visitations confirmations inlargements of the Spirit to men upon abiding and holding fast the Faith in particular exercises but these are but a first fruits and earnest of the inheritance in comparison of the whole reward that is promised to be injoyed after all incounters are over and past Now beware that ye confound not these days of the Lords spiritual appearance in some particular visit to the soul with the time of his ful personal and glorious appearance when every eye shall see him and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him when he shall descend from heaven with the sound of a Trump the Archangel of God and the dead in Christ shall be raised 1 Thes 4.16 as some unwarily do running themselves into much error taking the first fruits for the full income and cuting off the hope of the Harvest that should carry them on and keep them from by-turning to the troubling of the brethren also and subversion of many of them 2 Tim. 2.15,16,17 Neither entertain ye such a conceit as some have vented That there shall be no personal appearance of Christ any more but onely a spiritual manifestation of himself in his people for that also is a doctrine and opinion cross at least if not destructive to the Faith The Angels told the Disciples when they saw him taken up that as they see him taken up from them so they should see him even so coming again Acts 1.10,11 But they saw him going up personally as the Scripture makes it evident for as a distinct person from them and not as by spirit in them was
forth what almightiness is in himself though therefore Gods Power in it self and he in himself be Almighty that worketh yet his woking is not so Almightily put forth but that a man turning his eye from what he sets before him and listening to the Law in his members may deprive or hinder himself of the efficacie and operations of it and therefore great need also of exhortations to incite and stir up the heart to listen and take heed to the Grace of God in and with which Gods Power works in the soul that through that heeded and minded it may experiment and receive the working of that mighty power to its own preservation unto life eternal For though its the power of God that keeps us unto salvation yet that power keeps us not but through faith 1 Pet. 1.5 and is not to be felt and received by us but in believing and mens unwary separating of these two from one another as if they should certainly find the power of God to save them though they sit loose from the Word of Faith in which believed and minded God conveyes it over to men is the very ground and bottom of much presumption and brings many fool-hardily to throw themselves out of Gods wayes into their own destruction But yebeloved as ye are before warned separate not those things that God hath joyned together Wait on the Lord and keep his way Listen to brotherly instructions councels and exhortations â—…ying all things because Satan sometimes insiâ—…ates his operation in stead of Gods into and â—y Brethren as he spake in Peter when he â—ounselled Christ from his sufferings and hold â—…st that that is good And so I shall address my â—…f to what I have to say further by way of Exâ—ortation and that which I have to say is for our walking as Saints in these four Considerations viz. 1. As to God 2. As to one another 3. As to Seducers And 4. As to the unfilled or residue of the world Sect. 2. Exhortations to holy walking toward God WAlk worthy of the call wherewith God hath called you Ephes 4.1 God hath called you to be Saints walk then as Saints that is 1. Holily towards Him and that in 1. Giving thanks unto him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light delivered you from the power of darkness and translated you into the Kingdom of his dear Son Col. 1.13,14 and given you wisdom righreousness holiness and redemption in him Yea thankfully rejoyce in him the Father who hath done this for you and thereby made you meete to partake of the inheritance of the Saints in light by not onely giving his Son for you when sinners but also propounding him to you in and calling you to him by the Gospel when ignorant and out of the way who also hath inriched and blessed you with all spiritual blessings in Christ even with whatever makes either for defence and safety or for fruitfulness or eternal satisfaction Rejoyce also in Christ Jesus and count him worthy to receive praise and glory and thanksgiving seeing he hath loved and given himself for you yea and washt you in his blond Gal. 2.20 through the force and power of it cleansing your consciences and redeeming you from the earth and men Rev. 1.5 Heb. 9.14 Rev. 14.4 Seeing also he as the great High Priest mediateth the New Covenant for you that ye might be saved to the utmost through him be presented blameless to the Father by and in him and receive the promised possession and do this in the Spirit of Truth and holiness sent forth from the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus unto you and working in you to sanctifie you to be a pure offering unto God and the Father in him Be glad I say in this thankfulness and sing forth his Fraises Joy is comely for the Saints and righteous for and unto whom God in Christ hath done so much there is cause of joy in Christ for all people but chiefly for the Saints that are particularly his people Let Israel rojoyce in him that made him Psal 149.2 the Saints in God who hath given them not onely a natural being but also new created them in Christ Jesus to good works that he might be glorified in them And let the children of Sion the sons of Grace that have their birth of the Gospel and Promise held forth therein be joyful in Jesus Christ their King Let his praises be in your mouth and the high acts of God in your songs as those that are spiritually favoured by him Cast down your crowns before him let no mention be made of any acts or worth of yours any righteousness or salvation of your working but remember his continually and his onely verily so much as we take to our selves and lift up our selves so much we detract from and are unthankful unto him no part of his grace is or was due desert to any of us for then it should not have been grace but debt to us what ever we have done that 's good we are beholding to him for it for he first prevented us inabled us and incited us thereunto and yet what we have so done deserved not in any way what he hath done for and to us you have heard him but can you glory in your selves for it his Word prevented you or else you had not heard his Word drew forth attention or else it had been otherwise with you and alas how much have ye refused to hear him in and yet what ye have heard from him he hath made effectual to your believing what praise is due to a Begger from a Prince for hearing him direct him to some large treasure what thanks rather is due to that Prince from such a begger for speaking such things to him and how much more for bringing him to what he by speaking of to him perswaded him to look after and accept of from him Our hearing of the Word as it hath been defective in us so had it been never so perfect could be no meriting cause of Gods inriching or saving of us All our whole inheritance and portion is of him and his free grace and so is the bringing and intitling to it let the praise thereof then be wholly given to him and in so doing we shall walke in lowliness of minde as we are exhorted Ephe. 4.1 and not proudly lift up our selves as having some worth of our own in us to commend us by before him 2. Love the Lord ye Saints Psal 31.23 for what now doth the Lord our God require of us but to love and cleave to him for his love to us and this is a genuine expression of real thankfulness and comprehends in it all expressions of 〈◊〉 and produces all that 's returnable to God by us My Son give me thy heart Pro. 23.26 saith he thy heart that is thy love affection delight He that loves another gives him so much of his â—eart as he hath real love to