times Matth. 16.3 The which became destructive to them but St. Paul saith Ye are not in darkness that that day should come upon you at unawares 1 Thes 5.4 And blessed will they be that upon the warning the Lord gives them will so prepare for him as to have their Lamps trimed and their lights burning For the Lord compareth himself to a man that took a long journey and gave to every man his work and commanded the Porter to watch And the Lord saith watch ye therefore lest coming suddenly I find you sleeping Mark 13.34,35,36,37 These places shew the dreadful condition those Christians will be in that will not take warning by the Signs given by him and the Lord also saith If the good man of the house had known what hour the Thief would have come he would have watched and not have suffered his house to have been broken through Luke 12.39 For as the Thief comes to destroy so the Lord will come to the destruction of them that profess they know him yet will not make preparation for him Chap. V. The Signs of the Times NOW as concerning the Time and the Signs of the Time that is that the time of the Signs and Wonders to the time of Christ's coming and afterwards till such time as the Wicked are taken off from the Earth it doth clearly appear will be forty five years according to which time Israel lay in the Wilderness and were Conquering their Enemies in the Land of Canaan before they were peaceably setled there for in numbers it is said According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel what hath God wrought Numb 23.23 The like is said in Micah According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt I will shew unto him marvellous things the nations shall be confounded at all their might Mich 7.15,16 And it is said in Zechary 14.3 Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those nations as when he fought in the day of battel And in Daniel there is just forty five days difference in the number of the days and he is said to be blessed that comes to the last number Dan. 12.12 And that we are now far gone in this forty five days of years is certain by the Signs of the Times and if they began in 1663. when the great Blazing Star appeared which the Astronomers said was a Rod to whip the Earth withal And since we have had Signs in the Sun and in the Moon and oft repeated Blazing Stars according to the Word of the Lord Luke 21.25 or whether the beginning of the limited time was when the Evil Spirits mentioned in the Revelations Chap. 16.13,14 came out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet which has gathered together the Kings of the earth to the battel of the great day of God Almighty And by these the World is now in an uproar as in 2 Esdras 9.3,4 and also the Lord saith in Luke Chap. 21.25,26,27 There shall be distress of nations with perplexity the sea and the waves thereof roaring mens hearts failing them for fear and looking after those things which are coming on the earth for the powers of heaven shall be shaken By which is meant the ruling powers of the earth which in Scripture is also called the Heavens And then it is the Lord will come as in ver 27. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory And it is also given us as a Sign of the Lord 's coming the often breakin gs forth of fire out of the earth altho' History gives us an account that the Mountains were fired before Christ came The Romans being formerly the afflicters of the natural Seed of Jacob as since they have also been of the adopted Seed of Jacob for which with their other abominable sins the anger of the Lord has been kindled against them yet before the coming of the Lord it is declared by the Angel to Esdras There shall be confusion in many places and fire shall be oft sent out again 2 Esd 5.8 which hath lately in a wonderful manner been fulfilled Now all along in the Scripture the Afflictions of the Natural and of the Adopted Seed are joyned together so here in Isaiah 5. from the beginning to the 14. verse in a particular manner treats of the miscarriage and punishment of the natural Seed of Jacob. And beginning at the 14th verse to the 24th treats of the punishment of the adopted Seed of Jacob. For in the 16th verse he saith The Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in Judgment At which time the Lambs shall feed after their manner Therefore this is to be fulfilled when the Lord again comes Against which time it is said Isa 5.14 Hell hath enlarged her self and opened her mouth wide without measure and their glory and their multitude and their pomp and he that rejoyceth shall descend into it This doth evidently appear that Hell hath enlarged her self by these often torrents and rivers of Fire Pitch and Bitumen which God hath lately sent out thence According to the Word of God in Deuteronomy Chap. 32.22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn to the lowest Hell and shall consume the Earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the Mountains By these words we are to understand that the fire of Hell and the fire in the Foundations of these Mountains extendeth it self from the one to the other This is further treated of in a Book that is to come forth And it is also said in Isaiah 30. v. 30. For Tophet is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of Brimstone doth kindle it This Tophet here spoken of is Hell the King for whom it was prepared is the Devil but Man that is insnared by him does also fall into it For the Lord saith Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Matth. 25.41 But all Hell will not be fired till the last and final Judgment when all the dead will be judged Rev. 20.14 And whereas it is said The pile thereof is fire and much wood That is much combustible matter fit for fuel as Brimstone Pitch Sulpher Bitumen Coperas and the like These things the Lord hath so placed and by his breath and command he hath kindled it And it is said of the Beast and false Prophet that after the Lord comes they were both taken and cast alive into a Lake of fire burning with Brimstone Rev. 19.20 which Lake is already kindled into which they shall be cast which reacheth to the lowest Hell Chap. VI. Whirlwinds from the Lord. NOW are the Whirlwinds of the Lord gone forth according to the Word of
not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this man's Religion is vain v. 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction and to keep themselves unspotted from the world Here we see St. James as well as St. Peter finds some that were willing to take up with an imaginary faith occasioned through the mistake of some of the sayings of St Paul Altho the same Apostle in such abundance of places doth so clearly explain himself by shewing what is required of them that are to be made partakers of the Crown of Righteousness as has been already proved And he also sheweth that good works is a foundation for us to build our hopes of Salvation upon as well as the merits of Christ 1 Tim. 6.17,18,19 And he also saith It is not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Rom. 2.13 And that we should give our Bodies a living Sacrifice which is our reasonable service Rom. 12.1 And also that we must maintain a continual warfare Eph. 6.11,12,13 And as we believe that God is so we are to believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 Now in all these places in which St. Paul writes plainly agreeable to the word of God and Christ the Prophets and Apostles we will not believe him in because they do not so well suit our inclinations But in those sayings of his which we have not understood him in we have placed our belief to the contradiction of himself and all the revealed will of God in his word And tho' St. Peter did forewarn us that in St. Paul's Epistles there were some things hard to be understood which then some did wrest to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 Yet we have not thereby taken warning but how we shall answer it before the great Judge which is just at hand we had need now to consider before it be too late Now the Churches that first trusted in Christ being more Eminently chosen and called of God and by the abundant shedding forth of the Holy Ghost upon them they generally stood But the following generations were but raised to that from which Israel fell And therefore by their miscarriage we had need take warning For the Apostle saith If God spared not the natural branches take heed lest he also spare not thee Rom. 11.21 And Oh! that it might be a sufficient warning to us Chap. XVII Shewing who are they that are condemned already And who it is that will find Redemption SAINT John saith Chap. 3.36 He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him This St. John spake of them that heard Christ and believed not on him The like the Lord saith of himself in the 18 verse He that believeth on me is not condemned but he that believed not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotton Son of God By these words it is plain that those that were condemned already were those that refused to believe in him And not that those were condemned for not believing in him who never heard of him For if so the Lord had then excluded all the first Churches who were then to be brought home by the preaching of the Gospel But we have falsly imagined from these and the like words as where the Lord said to his Disciples Mark 16.15,16 Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Which words has only a reference to such as believed and such as refused believing so as not to yield obedience to the truth when they heard it For according to the Commands of the Lord St. Paul saith The Gospel was preached to every Creature which is under heaven Col. 1.23 Now the Children did not fall under this condemnation because they were not capable of believing or not believing Neither do the Heathen now fall under this condemnation who know not the Gospel For none shall be damned for not believing that they never heard And whereas it is said 1 John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life These words do not exclude them that never heard of the Son so as none of them shall never receive life by the Son For there will be a Redemption in the world to come as will be fully proved in another Treatise And when Christ comes to judge the world and at the last and final Judgment they are all said to be judged according to their deeds done in the Body whether they have been good or evil And tho' in the parable of the Sheep and Goats there is but two sorts mentioned yet there is a third included in as much as the poor and the Children were not capable to be made partakers of the blessing or the curse in their doing or not doing good to the distressed Sheep of Christ And therefore the word all is not mentioned when he sentenced them to everlasting fire Matth. 25.41 And whereas Saint Paul saith To take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction 2 Thes 1.5,6,7,8,9 The word all he mentions not But he includes them that have the knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ yet in works deny him in that they will not yield obedience to him And the Apostle saith Rom. 3.19 That what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law So likewise what the Gospel saith it saith to them that are under the Gospel That is to them that have the Gospel and obey or refuse to obey the same To them accordingly doth the promised mercy or the threatned judgment belong And in the Gospel is required our obedience to the Moral Law And also he saith Rom. 2.11,12 There is no respect of persons with God For as many as have sinned without the Law shall also perish without the Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law By which we see the Heathens that have not the knowledge of God come not under the same Judgment or condemnation of the fiery indignation unto which the wicked Christians are condemned because the law and Gospel only speaks to them that are under it Neither did the Old world go into the fire of Hell And all being judged according to their works and according to their deeds done in the body whether they have been good or evil Therefore to them that has done no evil works there will be a general release when they are judged Therefore all Children will certainly be cleared Neither do all offenders fall under everlasting condemnation The which by God's assistance I
a Month according to the Egyptian Account it doth just amount to one thousand two hundred and sixty days of years at which time the Lord will come and then the Beast shall be taken and cast alive into a Lake burning with Fire and Brimstone and the Devil bound up and then will be the first Resurrection of which St. John speaks in Rev. 20.4 And I saw Thrones and they that sat upon them and judgment was given unto them and I saw the Souls of them that were beheaded for the witnesses of Jesus and for the word of God and which had not worshiped the beast neither his image neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years 5. But the rest of the Dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished this is the first Resurrection V. 6. Blessed and Holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second Death hath no Power but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years It is said in Isa 1.26 where God telleth them I will restore thy Judges as at the first and thy Counsellors as at the beginning afterward thou shalt be called the City of Righteousness the Faithful City Pray mark the Words Here the Lord doth not tell them that they should have such Judges as they had at the first and such Counsellors as they had at the beginning but that the Lord would restore them Judges that they had at the first and those Counsellors which were at the beginning Therefore the Lord said unto Daniel in Chap. 12.13 But go thou thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand in thy Lot at the end of the days Now the Lord in the fore part of the Chapter tells him of the end of the world and what shall then happen and also tells him that he shall rest and stand in his Lot at the End of the Days Here the Lord doth not tell him that he shall stand in his Lot at the End of his Days but at the End of the Days after he has rested which is at the Resurrection By this of Daniel it doth further clear to us the first Resurrection on whom the second Death shall have no Power but that they shall be Priests of God and Christ and reign with him a thousand years And Isaiah saith Chap. 24.23 Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall reign in Mount Sion and in Jerusalem and before his Ancients gloriously Not that Christ and his Saints shall reign no longer than the Thousand Years but that the Visible Glory may not so eminently appear among them after Satan is loosed that thereby he may accomplish his final Overthrow when he has deceived his Gog and Magog of which I shall speak more to in another place Whereas the Angel saith Rev. 10.6 That there should be time no longer That is no longer time for this wicked World to have Power and time of Repentance for their time should be no longer But there will be a glorious Time for the People of God in the renewed Heavens and Earrh when the Lord reigneth And as there will be another World so another Generation and another Time Of which times the Lord saith in Esdras 9.6 The Times also of the Highest have plain beginnings in wonders and powerful workings and endings in Effects and Signs The Lord grant that we may be awakened by the Signs of the End which End is now approaching And in John Martha said to the Lord concerning her brother chap. 11.24 Martha said unto him I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last day The which last Day is the last day of this wicked World and when this World shall be judged For the Saints are raised before the Wicked are condemned Therefore by this last day must be meant the last day of their Time For to take it otherwise it cannot be for it is said when this World is past that Day and Night lasteth for ever and for ever as in Revelations where the Devil receives his Last Judgment he is there said to be cast into Hell to be tormented day and night for ever and for ever The same is said of God That he liveth for ever and for ever Rev. 4.9 And as to what St. Paul saith in 1 Thess 1.5 VVhich is a manifest Token of the Righteous judgment of God that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which ye also suffer Verse 6. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence Tribulation to them that trouble you 7. And to you that are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels 8. In flaming fire taking Vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 9. VVho shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power 10. VVhen he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe Now whereas he saith counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which they did also suffer In answer to which it is said in Rev. 11.15 The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our God and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever Verse 17. Saying we give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned Verse 18. And the Nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the dead that they should be judged and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy Servants the Prophets and to the Saints and them that fear thy Name small and great and shouldest destroy them which destroy the Earth Now it is at this time when the Lord cometh that the Kingdoms of this World will become the Kingdoms of God and Christ And it is then God will give Rewards to his Servants at which time the wicked Worldlings that are dead in sin will be judged and then shall they be destroyed which destroyed the Earth which Earth is their fellow brethren upon the Earth And also by the words of St. Paul before mentioned it is when the Lord shall be revealed that then to the wicked will be recompensed Tribulation and to the Saints Rest and Consolation And when God and Christ have taken possession of the Kingdom then shall the Saints reign on the Earth as in Rev. 5.10 And hast made us unto God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the Earth And according to this it is said in Ephes 2.7 And also in 1 Pet. 2.9 Where he mentions those things which are to come as if they were present which way of speaking is often used in
Scripture And the like is in Dan. 7.27 And in 2 Tim. 4.8 It is said The Crowns are given in that day to all them that love his appearing For now it is said in Rev. 6.9 The Souls are under the Altar Now in the next place we are to take notice who are those that do chiefly fall under this everlasting Punishment mentioned by St. Paul in 2 Thess 1.6,8,9 which in especial manner appears to be those rhat were the Afflictors of the the Servants of God as in Verse 6. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence Tribulation to them that trouble you By which we see these will be the great sharers of his Wrath when the Lord comes as in verse 8. In flaming fire taking Vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 9. VVho shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Now altho he saith this of them that know not God Now those are said not to know God that in works deny him in not obeying the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ Now this word was more particularly directed to them that would not have a practical Knowledg of God and of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ as to be obedient thereunto Now that this Condemnation did not extend to all that had not the knowledg of God and of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is evident for in his words there is not all expressed for he did not say of all them that knew not God and all them that knew not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ but to them chiefly that knew it and would not obey it for the Lord saith he that knoweth not his Masters Will and doeth it not shall be beaten with fewer stripes For St. Paul also knew that the Jews that neither did know nor obey the Gospel were to be called in at the coming of the Lord is evident by what is said in Rom. 11.25,26 That when the fulness of the Gentiles be come in then all Israel should be saved He saith according as it is written in Isa 59. read there from the V. 14. to the end of the Chapter in which is contained Christ's coming to Judgment and the Redemption of his People and it is at that time when he comes to Mount Sion That he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. And then will the rest of the promised Elect be gathered in Now when the Lord was upon the Earth he did not in the plain Letter of the Word either bid us pray for Jerusalem or the Conversion of the Jews but in the Second and Third Petitions of that Prayer that he taught us they are both included Where he saith Thy Kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven For the Lord knowing that Israels time to be restored would not be until his Second Coming at which Time should be the Restitution of all Things And then will the Kingdoms of this World become the Kingdoms of our God and of his Christ And then will Israel be restored and the promised New Covenant made with them And then will the Will of the Lord be done on Earth as it is done in Heaven and this the Lord would have us to pray for before we ask our daily bread for the Time was not so absolutely determined but that the days may be shortned And the Lord said to Esdras Pray for few days unto you And Christ in Matth. 24.22 saith For the Elect's sake those days shall be shortned And St. Peter speaking of Christ's second coming in Acts 3.19,20,21,22,23 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. 20. And he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you 21. VVhom the Heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began 22. For Moses truly said to the Fathers a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you 23. And it shall come to pass that every Soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Here the Apostle absolutely tells us The Lord will again come and then will the Times of Restitution be the which he saith hath been declared by all the Prophets and by them I here prove the same unto you And in 2 Esdras 11.37 And I beheld and lo as it were a roaring lion chased out of the wood And I saw that he sent out a mans voice unto the eagle and said V. 38. Hear thou I will talk with thee and the highest shall say unto thee V. 39. Art not thou it that remaineth of the four beasts whom I made to reign in my world that the end of their times might come through them V. 46. That all the earth may be refreshed and may return being delivered from thy violence and that she may hope for the judgment and mercy of him that made her Now we have all of us been under a very great mistake as to our Lord 's coming to judgment taking his coming to judg the World for that last and final Judgment spoken of in Rev. 20.12 wherein the Dead both small and great shall stand before the Throne of God At which time the Sea and Hell and Death shall deliver up their Dead which are in them But when Christ comes to Judg the World there is mention made of no such thing But whereas St. Paul saith in the 2 Tim. 4.1 That the Lord Jesus Christ shall judg the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Here we must not forget whom the Lord calls Dead it is also them that are dead in sin and it is those Dead wirh the living Saints and restored Jews that he will first Judg. And whereas it is said in his Kingdom pray take notice of the word Kingdom which Kingdom would be but of a short continuance were it but for a natural day therefore it is said that he must Reign till he hath put all his Enemies under his feet which is till the last general Judgment when the Sea Hell and Death shall deliver up their Dead Now as to what our Lord saith concerning his coming Matth. 25.31 when the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him Then shall he sit upon the Throne of his glory V. 32. And before him shall be gathered all Natiions and he shall seperate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep from the Goats Now whereas the Lord saith he shall fit upon the Throne of his Glory which words argue a continuance of some considerable time upon his Throne And the Lord here
tells us who they are that shall be gathered It is the Nations that are then upon the Earth at his coming And the Lord in the 33. V. saith He shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on the left V. 34 Then shall the King say to them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the world Now whereas the Lord saith come ye blessed that is they were blessed because they were excepted and also there was that found in them that did distinguish them from the wicked of the world Here by these words of our Lord we are fully informed that they are to enter into the Kingdom that was prepared for them from the foundation of the World and we know what Kingdom that was which was then prepared at the foundation of the World that it was this material Heaven and Earth and the Garden of Eden and when Christ comes it is this will be again restored to Israel and the rest of the Elect with them whom Christ will set at his right hand as being part of his Sheep but this setting them on the right hand and left is but a figurative Speech and spoken by way of Parable as I shall prove by several places of Scripture And whereas the Lord saith in Mat. 25.35 I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in V. 36. Naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me V. 37. Then shall the Righteous answer him saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee Drink V. 38. VVhen saw we thee a Stranger and took thee in or nake and clothed thee V. 39. Or when saw we the sick or in prison and came unto thee V. 40. And the King shall answer and say unto them verily I say unto you in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me V. 41. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels V. 42. For I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was a thirsty and ye gave me no drink V. 43. I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye clothed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not V. 44. Then shall they also answer him saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred or a thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not Minister unto thee V. 45. Then shall he answer them saying verily I say unto you in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me V. 46. And these shall go into everlasting punishment but the Righteous in to Life Eternal That is the Lord then giveth them an assurance of their Eternal Salvation So as they are for ever after past the power or fear of the Second Death Now when Christ said to them on his Right Hand Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World he did not then say any thing to exclude a Temporal Death but at the conclusion of the whole matter the Lord said The Righteous shall go into Life Eternal That is then they shall have the assurance of Eternal Life for then by the New Covenant-Promise which will then be made with them they are put past the power of the second death And the Lord by his Word counts a Temporal Death not a dying as in John 8.51 Verily verily I say unto you if a man keep my Sayings he shall never see death And when they are again restored then they will be put into a capacity never to offend any more by the Promised New Covenant that then will be made with them of which the Christian that is now become a New Creature will be partaker of that promis'd New Covenant with them but how few is there of such And whereas it is said in Matth. 25.32 that before him shall be gathered all Nations and that he shall separate the one from the other and that he shall set the Sheep on his Right Hand and the Goats on his Left But yet when the blessing was by the Lord pronounc'd the Word All was not then included And if it had all the innocent children and the poor had been all excluded because the one had no knowledge how to do good upon which the blessing was pronounc'd and the poor had it not to do withal Nor doth the Lord include the Word All in that Everlasting Sentence of Condemnation but this Sentence was chiefly to them that knew him but would not live in Obedience to him nor do the good that was required of them for they did not deny the knowledge of the Lord but said Lord when saw we thee thus and thus Whereupon the Lord saith In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me You have not obeyed the great Commandment I left with you at my departure which was to love one another and that you should bear one another's burdens and you knowing most of my Revealed Will wherein my Mercy and Love is comprehended and in that you have shewed no Mercy to the Elect or Sheep of God now there remains no Mercy for you the which I left upon Record by my Servant James chap. 2.13 That he shall have judgment without mercy that have shewed no mercy Now if their Punishment be so great to them that has done no good in their Generation according to their Capacity how much severer Punishment must those Christians expect that are committing all those Evils which this Nation and the rest of the Christian World doth abound in accompanied with the Romish Cruelty to the Servants of Christ And as St. Peter saith 1 Pet. 4.18 If the Righteous scarcely be Saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear that are filling up their days in commiting iniquity since every sin doth augment their Punishment And the Lord also tells us Mat. 7.19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good Fruit is hewen down and cast into the Fire V. 20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them V. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven V. 22. Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not Prophesied in thy Name and in thy name cast out Devils and in thy name done many wonderful works V. 23. Then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Here the Lord doth in a more clear manner Figure out to us the Papists with their signs
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