TRVTH Vindicated Against All HERESIES SHEWING How the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent is distinguished THE Woman cloathed with the Sun discovered she having the Moon under her Feet The Old and New Testament made to agree AND God's JUSTICE and MERCY Magnified LONDON Printed and Sold by Edward Pool at the Sign of the Half Moon under the Royal Exchange Abel Roper at the Black Boy over against St. Dunstan's Church Fleet-street Mr. Michael at the Crown and Cushion in Westminster-Hall And at Mercer's Chappel in Cheapside 1698. I have by God's assistance made plain the true meaning of this Text which I found to be much abused by one who in his Book saith He knows not but that he may be the Elias which was to come And he in his Book has thrown the miscarriage of the Devil and Man upon God upon the mistakes of this and some other mistaken places of Scripture By which mistaken places the Prince of Darkness has got wonderful advantage to the destruction of many thousand poor Souls I. Chap. GEN. 3.22 And the Lord God said Behold the man is become as one of us to know good and evil And now least he put forth his Hand and take also of the Tree of Life and eat and live for ever Now in that God said Behold the Man is become as one of us to know goâ—… and evil That was the Man became like God in the knowledge of good and evil For God had the knowledge of good and evil to distinguish between the excellency of the one and the abomination of the other For God was of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity Hab. 1.13 That is to behold either the Pride or Malice of the Devil or the evil of Man with approbation And Adam and Eve when they had eaten of the forbidden Fruit they became ashamed of the Evil they had done whereby their Nakedness was discovered to them And so the Evil of Sin became disliked by them And in that Adam and Eve disliked Sin and liked Good therein they became like God in the knowledge of good and evil In that they disliked the one and loved the other tho' not in that perfect degree yet unto God it might bear a resemblance For Man was at first created in the Image of God yet infinitely short of the glorious perfection of God who is an unchangeable Being and beyond the Power of Satan's deceiving But Adam and Eve being ashamed of what they had done therein they were quite contrary to the Devil for he was without shame and without excuse For whatsoever Evil he commits he never is surprized or drawn into it but he always doth the worst of Evils with his best liking And whatever Wickedness he does he is the Father of it John 8.44 And not that the Evil of Sin was first determined by God as is falsly asserted by some Now Adam and Eve were beguiled and drawn into the Snare by the Devil And he endeavoured to ensuare our blessed Lord when he said If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down for it is written He shall give his Angels charge concerning thee and in their Hands they shall bear thee up least at any time thou dash thy Foot against a Stone Mat. 4.6 So likewise Satan used perswasions to Adam and Eve in setting forth how beneficial the eating of that Tree would be to them And then she apprehended it was a Tree to be desired to make one wise And Wisdom is pleasing to God and Man And he that hateth Understanding is a Fool 1 King 3.9,10 Prov. 1.22 And it was by Satan's plausible Insinuations that he deceived them he telling them They should be as Gods knowing Good and Evil. And that God did but threaten them and that they should not surely dye Gen. 3.4 So he beguiled them and they did eat but not as they had any dislike to good or delight in evil but the contrary for he perswaded them they should be like Gods or God and when they saw by what they had done that their Natures were defiled so as thereby their Nakedness did appear to them they were ashamed And where there remains Fear and Shame there remains a Child-like frame Now Adam beholding his Sin with fear and Shame Gen. 3.7.10 He thereby shewed his dislike to Sin And therefore God had compassion on Man and promised him a Saviour And in the State that Adam was then in God saw a probability that he might still take and eat of the Tree of Life and therefore the Lord sent him forth of the Garden least he should put forth his Hand and take also of the Tree of Life and eat and live for ever Gen. 3.22,23 the which God before they had Sinned gave them free liberty to do Gen. 2.16 And therefore God determined not Mans miscarriage by not putting him in ability capable to stand as some have falsly imagined But God having said before to Adam that in the Day that he did eat of the Tree of knowledge of Good and evil he should surely die Gen. 2.17 And it being impossible for God to lye Heb. 6.18 Therefore God sent them out of the Garden least they should take hold of the Tree of Life and eat and live for ever And God rather choosing to part with the Son of his Love from the Throne of his Glory to Suffer for Sinners his Love to his Creatures made that possible but for God to lye is impossible Therefore Adam for his transgression dyed in the day of a Thousand Years For one day is with the Lord as a Thousand Years and a Thousand Years as one day 2. Pet. 3.8 And for the Sin of Adam's transgression there was but the punishment of this Life and Death pronounced against them with a comfortable promise by the Seed of the Woman Gen. 3.15,16,17,18,19 but the Fire of Hell was not threatned to them neither was Hell Fire prepared for Man but for the Devil and his Angels Matt. 25.41 who before the Creation of the World rebelled 2. Now there is a great deal of difference in Scripture between the meaning of the Creation of the World and the Foundation of the World there being but one Creation of the World but several Foundations in as much as there was made several Worlds Heb. 1.2 As the Old World This World and the World that is yet to come All having several Foundations Adam being the Foundation of the Old World Noah the Foundation of this World And Abraham the Foundation of the World to come So as all that come in heirs to that World must come in as the Seed of Abraham Gal. 3.28 And as the Twelve Tribes are the Foundation of the World to come so the Twelve Apostles are said to be the Foundation of the Heavenly City having their names writ on the wall thereof Reve. 21.14 And the Twelve Tribes when they were brought out of Egypt to be placed in the Heart of the Earth and to
World who acknowledge the Law and Prophets in the truth of these things it is certainly evident to us and the whole World that the Scriptures are true and the Word of God and to confirm the Truth of what God hath there declared he hath given us a Sign in the Heavens Signs upon the Earth and under the Earth and thro' the World But for Brevity sake I shall here mention but three which are evidently known to all First That the old World for Sin was drowned the Rainbow in the Heavens doth witness to the Truth of the Word Secondly God declareth that his Anger should set on fire the Foundations of the Mountains which should burn to the lowest Hell Deut. 32.22 Which for these many hundred years is come to pass and also that Hell should enlarge her self Isaiah 5.14 Which within these few years is wonderfully come to pass by the Rivers of Fire Pitch and Bitumen which has been sent out thence the which doth likewise bear witness to the Truth of God's Word and also Israel's being scattered doth witness to the World the Truth of the same XV. Christ proved to be the Son of God BUT peradventure some will say how can we prove the New Testament to be true and Christ to be the Son of God seeing the Jews do not own it I shall not here go to prove it from the Words of the Apostles as to believe it through their bare Word but I chiefly believe it because I find those things that were fore Prophessed of by the Prophets concerning the Messiah made good in the Crucified Jesus unto which sure word of Prophesies we are always to take heed And in that the Scriptures now again being rightly understood they are not contradictory to what God before spake by the Prophets for we are to believe nothing in contradiction to what God hath spoken by the Prophets for what God hath absolutely promised he will certainly perform And therefore to declare his Righteousness in the performance of his Promise he sent the Son of his Love to Suffer for Sinners as was declared by the Prophets and that for Israel's wilful Disobedience he was then a Stone of Stumbling and a Rock of Offence to both the Houses of Israel for a Gin and for a Snare to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem Isaiah 8.14 Which accordingly so fell out for they expecting he should come as a King and not apprehending that he should first come to Suffer therefore he was Despised and Rejected of Men. A Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief they hid as it were there Faces from him he was despised and they esteemed him not Isaiah 53.3 And it was Prophesied concerning him Isaiah 7.4,15,16 That a Virgin should conceive and bear a Son and that he should be born in Bethlehem Mic. 5.2 And lowly Riding upon an Ass Zach. 9.9 And the Lords Sufferings and Death were likewise foretold Isaiah 53 7 He was brought like a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep dumb before the shearers so opened he not his mouth Zach. 11.12,13 And they weighed for his price thirty pieces of silver Ps 22 16,18 And they pierced his hands and his feet Dan. 9.26 And the Messiah was cut off but not for himself all these hings and many more were made good in the Crucified Jesus Therefore I believe him to be the Messiah that Seed of the Woman that should â—…ise the Serpents Head Gen 3. And that Lord unto whom the Lord said sit thou on my right hand till I make thine 〈…〉 Ps 110.1 Which will be when the Lord again comes to deliver his People And for further Proof that this Lord is God God saith Zech. 13.7 Awake O sword against my shepherd and against the man that is my fellow saith the Lord of hosts And none can be the fellow of God but the Son of God which is God and therefore said of him that Was to be born in Bethlehem that his goings forth have been from of old from everlasting Mic. 5.2 And of him it is said Vnto us a child is born and unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders and he shall be called the wonderful counceller the mighty God the everlasting Father the prince of peace Isaiah 9.6 And when this Prince of Peace shall come and take the Government then will he be to all his Sheep the everlasting Father and the God of the whole earth shall he be called Isaiah 54.5 And of this Prince of Peace it is said Thy throne O God is for ever and ever the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows Psalm 45.6,7 And according to this the Apostles declare of Christ the Lord that he is God for they were not nor did not hold any thing in contradiction to what God hath declared by the Prophets and what is declared of God in the Old Testament there is nothing contrary thereunto in the New And as the Holy Spirit was spoken of throughout the Old Testament so likewise in the New only sometimes called Holy Spirit sometimes Holy Ghost which is all one it being the Breath of God which is called the River of God the Streams whereof shall make glad the City of God the Holy Tabernacle of the most High Psalm 46.4 Which pure River of Water is said to proceed out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb Rev. 22.1 therefore this River giveth Life and maketh glad Now as there is Figurative Heavens and Earth spoken of in the Old Testament so there is also in the New and as there is a Figurative Sea made mention of in the Old Testament so likewise in the New for there is in both several Figurative Expressions which have one and the same meaning aluding to one and the same thing in both which I have fully made appear in my Book of the Figurative Speeches therefore I shall not insist here up on it But God did not only speak mystically to Israel concerning Christ's first coming because for their Sins they might be snared broken and taken but the second coming of Christ is also to us now since we have lost the true meaning of the word these things appear very mystical in the New Testament to us that the wicked of the Adopted Seed whose turn it is now to be snared broken and taken for God by the Law and Gospel speaks to them that under it as I have fully made appear from the Scriptures in my Book of the Explanation of the New Testament and they are the World that will be Judged by it and the Wicked of them that will not live in Obedience to it are the World that will be then Condemned by it The which the Christians not apprehending they put the Day of Judgment far off expecting the Fall of Babylon and the Restoration of Israel to be before the
and Apostles agree that Salvation will be when the times of Refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord Acts 3.19,21,22 And Christ saith Search the scriptures for they were they that dâ—d testifie of him John 5.39 And then there was no other Scriptures but the Old Testament Now all Christ's Sufferings being fulfilled in the plain Letter of the Word and left us upon Record ever to believe the same And as in the Word it is Prophesied that Israel should be scattered so we evidently see the same and we ought also and are bound to believe all the great Prophesies and Promises relating to Christ's second coming that they will be performed in the plain Letter of the Word and as it was Prophesied that God would pour forth his Spirit Joel 2.28,29 Of which St. Peter saith It was made good to them in that time Acts 2.16,17,18 Which was for the Confirmation of the Gospel and as an earnest of their Inheritance in time to come or Restitution Before which time as in Joel 2.30,31 God will shew wonders in heaven and in earth blood and fire and pillars of smoke which accordingly has come to pass for by wars much blood hath been spilt And the Lord in a great and wonderful manner hath sent out of the earth fire and pillars of smoke for these many hundred years but much more of late And it is said verse 31. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord come This came to pass when the Nations which had embraced the Faith came to have no love to the Truth God then gave them up to Delusion 2 Thess 2.10,11 For when the people could not endure sound doctrin but after their own lusts they did heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they turned away their ears from the truth and were turned unto fables 2 Tim. 4 3,4 And when the Seducers and false teachers went about to deceive they then became deceived ch 3.12,13 For God doth never so punish without a cause Eze. 14.23 And then was the Sun turned into darkness for in the Scriptures the Teachers are termed the Light of the World and when the Sun the Teachers were darkned the Moon which is the World of People which receiveth her Light from the Teachers as the Moon doth her Light from the Sun the People were soon turned into Blood by hating and killing one another The Pope and his Clergy pretending to be the true Church Mahomet the true Prophet and every Sect the right Remnant and thus the Prince of Darkness carries on his Designs in setting Men to hate and kill one another through these Divisions Now in that Prophesie of Scripture is of more than a private Interpretation 2 Pet. 1.20 But we must be sure to put no other Interpretation on it but what we can make plain from the Word And in Joel 3.15 It is also said The sun and moon shall be darkned and the stars shall withdraw their shining Here the Prophet may have a Reference to the material Sun Moon and Stars which by the Glorious Appearing of the Lord will be obscured by his Brightness But when the Nations came to have no love to the Truth God suffered a Spirit of a strong Delusion to go forth 2 Thess 2.11 For God hath determined that those that will not deny themselves for him shall suffer by him for unto them that are contentions and will not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile but glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile Rom. 2.8,9,10 For there will be a Redemption in time to come for all that order their Conversation aright and have not been wilful Opposers of the Truth which is one of the worst of Unrighteousnesses And though it is those who comes in Heirs to the Promises made to the Fathers that are made partakers of the greater Glory yet there is Glory and Salvation for others of a lower degree And though the Jews that have been since Christ's time were cast off for the Sins of their Parents yet not for ever and ever to be forgotten of God without their own Sins does occasion it for there will be a Redemption in time to come for some and if Israel for the Sin of their Parents has been left to stumble on the dark Mountains these seventeen hundred years no wonder if the Adopted Seed has been left to stumble thereon for above this thousand years For it is Israel who as touching the Election is beloved for their Fathers sake Rom. 11.28 For though there was but a Remnant chosen from among them that were chosen according to the Election of Grace verse 5. Yet they were all Gods chosen and elected People for their Fathers sake Isaiah 45.4 And this God did because he loved their Fathers because they had walked with a perfect Heart before him The which when the Lord proved Israel in the Wilderness they did not And therefore the Lord saith Deut. 31.21 For I know their imaginations which they go about even now before I have brought them into the land Here because God would have us take notice when it was he knew it therefore he redoubles his Words and saith even now at the time when they were in the Wilderness But we do never read of God's foreknowing his Drowning of the World till he saw the Wickedness of Man was great and then it was that it grieved him at his Heart that he had made Man but God's choosing Israel was for their Fathers sake and not that he had Elected them without a why or a wherefore but when God had proved and tryed Israel in the Wilderness and as they had there often miscarried God saw they would again fall away for which he determined to leave them to Blindness the like God foreseeing that the Gentiles would fall away for which he determined to leave them to Delusion For as of old when the People fell away Rom. 1.18,20,21 the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and godhead so that they were without excuse because when they knew God they glorified him not as God but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned verse 28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them up to a reprobate mind So we see Man 's not improving his Day of Grace has been his Destruction all along and not that they had not a Day of Grace given them and it is such that God gives up to Delusion that first deceives and deludes themselves
further to consider wherefore the Lord sent them forth from the Garden Which was Least he should put forth his Hand and take also of the Tree of Life Gen. 3.22 By which words we are to take notice that God doth positively declare that he did not know what Man would do till he proved and tryed him and saw what was in Man And Therefore least he should also take of the Tree of Life and eat and Live forever God having before pronounced Death for his offence God sent him out of the Garden These words we are to take in the plain Letter of the Text. That God did not then know what Man would do And this God declaring we are bound to believe In as much as it is impossible for God to ly Heb. 6.18 But many by not rightly apprehending these forementioned places have laid the generality of the world under Eternal Damnation by a fore sight in God of Adams transgression Notwithstanding God hath fully declared that when he saw that the wickedness of Man was great upon the Earth and that man had wholly corrupted his way except Noah It repented the Lord that he had made Man on the Earth and it grieved him at his Heart Gen. 6.5,6,9,12 And this we are to take in the plain Letter of the Text without we will blaspheme his Holy Name in making the God of Truth a lyer which is impossible for him to be Heb. 6.18 And when God promiseth a Blessing whether conditional or absolute according as he hath promised he will make it good Hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good For God is not a man that he should lye nor the Son of Man that he should repent Numb 23.19 But upon man's returning God is often said to Repent of the Evil he thought to do unto them So likewise of a Blessing when it is promised on condition and the condition not performed Jer. 18.8,9,10 And it was after God had proved and tryed man he saw what was in man And seeing our great High-Priest could not be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities till he took our Nature Heb. 4.15 So it was much more impossible that God who is of purer Eyes then to behold Iniquity with approbation could be cumbred with the foresight of all the abominations and wicked stratagems of the Devil or Man before they were created or the World in which man offended And the God of Truth having sworn that he delighteth not in the Death of a Sinner but rather that he should return and live Ezek. 33.11 And how can this be true if God had reprobated the generality of all Mankind from all Eternity And likewise God saith The Soul that sinneth it shall dye the Son shall not bear the iniquity of the Father Ezek. 18.20 that is when they come to be judged And accordingly it is said when they are judged That every one shall receive for the things done in the Body whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 For Christ will then condemn none for the Sin of Adam's Transgression the which we call Original Sin for which we have laid the greater part of the World under Eternal Damnation by a foresight in God of Adams transgression And it is by the false Notions which the Christians have received through the mistaken places of Scripture which has caused several to deny the Lord Christ to be the Son of God knowing that the God of Truth would not send his Son and the Servant of his Son to contradict what he had before declared for tho' our Faith in some things may be above our Reason but not contrary to Reason And tho' it is said He that planted the Ear shall he not hear he that formed the Eye shall he not see Psal 94.7.9 This is spoken only to the time after Man had a being and when they transgressed and thought God did not see But in that God said when Man had corrupted himself that it repented him that he had made Man and that it grieved him at his heart Therefore with permission I speak this it being not improbable that if Man had fallen no otherwise then in Adam's transgression that then Christ by taking our Nature and therein performing perfect Obedience he might thereby have satisfied Divine Justice without making his Soul an Offering for Sin Which made the Lord Christ desire of God that if it were possible that Cup might pass from him But it being impossible that God's justice could be otherwise satisfied therefore he drank it and God was troubled that Man had so corrupted himself as to fall under his severe Condemnation he having no pleasure in the Death of a Sinner Ezek. 18.32 But many by their false apprehensions that all things were fore-ordained before the Creation making no distinction between the great difference that is betwixt the Creation of the World and the meaning of the Foundation of the World and by several mistaken places Whereby they have made the wonderful Love of God in the gift of his Son only a thing fore-determined according to the Counsel of his own Will and that from all Eternity And the wonderful Love of Christ in laying down his Life for the World which Love passeth Knowledge has been made a design in God that thereby some might be saved and the rest damned And these conjectures some have had of God who is the Fountain of all Wisdom Love and Justice as to think that God from all Eternity elected some without Reason and left the rest to eternal Damnation without having any regard to Reason Pity or Love But when such come to be judged they will find that God has a reason for what he doth And some there are that hold that God hath two Wills an outward Will to invite all to come and accept of Salvation and a secret Will that only the Elect shall be saved Which Notions were no other then Blasphemy against the God of Truth were they wilfully committed And because most of the received mistaken Notions will not permit God a Reason for what he doth therefore the foresaid Elias Thomas Moor pretending to vindicate God's justice more than the others saith God not making the Angels that fell nor Man at first of ability to stand and therefore he saith God in Justice cannot punish Man in Hell nor leave the Devil to damnation And were this true that God did not at first make the Angels that fell and Man of ability to stand I should be of his mind also in thinking it could not be justice in God to condemn them to the Fire of Hell for doing that which he had before determined But now the Prince of Darkness through our mistaken Notions by the false Interpretations put upon the Scriptures has compleated his design in throwing his miscarriage and the World 's upon God that thereby Man might be as wicked as the Devil would have them Concerning Adam's Fall I
vvas his VVill and his VVord he Gloriously and Terribly appeared on Mount Sinai and to confirm the Gospel he first sent dovvn the Holy Ghost in cloven Tongues like Fire Acts 2.2 And then because that vvould not be a sufficient Evidence to the VVorld vvhat vvas done at Jerusalem altho there vvere then some of all Nations there then present yet notwithstanding for the farther confirmation to the World that God had sent Christ he therefore took from among the Gentiles a People for his Name at the first visiting the Gentiles by the Gospel Acts 15.14 Who through the conviction of the Spirit upon the word of the Disciples believed in Christ through their Word John 17.20 And the Word in this place Christ terms their Word because they received it from the Mouth of the Disciples and believed it God having then given them no other outward visible Testimony than what they had from the Disciples whose Word they believed and so were Baptized And afterwards the Holy Ghost was given to be in them according to the Promise of the Lord John 14.17 by which they were glorified ver 22. 1 Pet. 1.2 And became united to God by partaking of that one Spirit that the World might believe that God had sent Christ John 17.21,22,23 by the mighty Power Signs and Wonders that were seen among them These were those that were foreknown called justified and glorified Rom. 8.29,30 by their receiving the Holy Ghost to be in them by which their Bodies became the Temples of the Holy Ghost These were those that when they were brought before Governours and Kings were to take no thought how or what they should speak for it should be given them in that Hour what they should speak for the Spirit of the Father spake in them Mat. 10.19,20 For the Holy Ghost which was but with the Disciples was afterwards given to be in the Disciples and first Churches John 14.17 chap. 17.21 So then the World did not believe in Christ through the alone word of the Disciples but through the evident demonstration of the Spirit of God which was evidently and visibly mannest in the Elect by their Speaking with Tongues and working of Miracles so as the World thereby might have sufficient Evidence to believe that God had sent Christ And thus was the Prayer of Christ fulfilled in that the World might believe that God bad sent him John 17.21 And the Gospel being thus wonderfully establish'd Heb. 2.4 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things is they were first delivered and not as we first received them And the care of the Lord was such that although he commanded his Disciples to teach all Nations Mat. 28.19 yet notwithstanding they were for bidden by the Spirit to preach the Word in Asia and Bythinia Acts 16.6,7 till such time the Elect were called in that by their receiving the Holy Ghost to be in them they might be a Light to the World And afterwards the Word was preached in Asia and believed on there Rev. 1. And St. Paul saith That the Gospel had been preached to every Creature under Heauen Gol. 1.10,23 And that their sound went through the World Rom. 10.18 And that the World embraced the Faith in the Apostles time Col. 1.16 And their standing was as they continued in the Faith and were not moved away from the hope of the Gospel by which the promised Hope is attained And upon the perfermance of this condition God will never forsake any for as the Lord is the Author of Faith so to them that obey him he will be the Finisher Heb. 12.2 chap. 5.9 the word our in this Verse is not in the Greek And whereas St. Paul saith That none can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 This the Apostle spake when the Gospel was first publish'd at which time the Holy Ghost was given for the confirmation of the truth thereof But since the Christians have learned to say by rote that Christ is the Son of God without the assistance of the Holy Ghost And whereas the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can be know them because they are spiritually discerned That is whilst the natural Man gives himself to sensual delights as the pleasures and profits and other advantages of this life which in the 6th vers is termed the wisdom of this world he will not give himself a liberty to consider his ways to be wise And therefore such cannot receive the knowledge of the things of God because they are spiritually to be discerned that is by a considering Spirit or a Spirit of Consideration And therefore God often calls to Man to consider their ways Deut. 32.29 Job 34.27 Psal 50.22 Isa 1.3 Chap. 5.12 Ezek. 18.14,28 Hos 7.2 2 Tim. 2.7 Rev. 2.5 And also St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 3.18 If any Man among you seemeth to be wise let him become a Fool that he may be Wise For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God But by our forsaking the Vanities Pleasures and subtil Craftiness of the World is the way to become wise in Spiritual things And if ye resist the Devil he will flee from you draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you James 4.7,8 And David by making the Law of God his Meditation became wiser than all his Teachers Psal 119.99 And if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth and upbraideth not and it shall be given him James 1.5 If thou criest after knowledge and liftest up thy Voice for Vnderstanding If thou seekest her as Silver and searchest for her as for hidden Treasures then shalt thou understand the Fear of the Lord Prov. 2.3,4,5 Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get wisdom and with thy getting get Vnderstanding She shall give to thine Head an Ornament of Grace a Crown of Glory shall she deliver to thee chap. 4.7,9 But the worldly wise men the Apostle saith will be taken in their own Craftiness 1 Cor. 3.19 And whereas the Apostle saith vers 7. Neither is he that planteth any thing neither is he that watereth but God that giveth the encrease This he spake upon the first publication of the Gospel upon the calling in of the Elect which great increase God gave by a fore-appointment of whom he said they knew God or rather are known of God Gal. 4.9 Because they were those that were fore-chosen For herein he had his reference to the then time which was the great Day of Salvation when the Elect were called in and a Door of Mercy set open to the World that they might take hold of the offered mercy in the common Salvation The which the Nations did and so became the Seed of Abraham But they that were made the Temple of God if any of them defiled the Temple of God him would God destroy 1 Cor. 3.16,17 For St.
Lord comes the which will not be till after the Lord comes as I have fully made appear in the fore-mentioned Book For Idumea will be the Figurative Heavens with their Hosts that will be destroyed Isaiah 34.4,8 When Israel is Restored which Idumea in the Revelation is termed mystical Babylon and the Figurative Heavens and Elements which will be destroyed Rev. 6.3,4 And the Heaven and Earth that will pass away with which are included the rest of the Wicked that know his Laws for the Covetous Man is said to be an Idolater as well as he that Worships an Idol Eph. 5.5 Col. 3.5 And those that walk after the Lust of the Flesh will fall under the Condemnation for the Wicked shall perish and the Enemies of the Lord shall be as the Fat of Lambs they shall consume into smoke shall they consume away Psalm 37.20 And we reckon our Enemies always to be them that knows us and not them that knows us not And St. Peter's Charge was that they should be mindful of the words that were spoken before by the Holy Prophets and of the Commandment of us the Apostles 2 Pet. 3.20 Which was that they might not be ignorant of the coming of the Lord which the Scoffers are willfully ignorant that by the word of God the Heavens were of old and the Earth standing out of the Water and in the Water whereby the World that then was being overflowed with Water then perished verse 5.6 The which World was the World of People and then they were not distinguished by Heavens and Earth for then there was no Ruling Powers but what belonged to Parents over their Children and Families and therefore alike termed the World and not the Heavens and Earth As Israel was not termed Heavens and Earth till they became a Ruling Power and People So likewise the Heathen when they became a Ruling Power and People then were they termed a Heavens and Earth as I have already proved but in that St. Peter saith the Heavens and Earth that are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto Fire against the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly Men verse 7. But in that he saith the same Heavens and Earth which are now are kept in store unto Judgment Therefore he had no reference here to those that were of old and the Figurative Heavens which was then in the Apostles time was the Roman Power by which the Servants of Christ were then opprest and it is the Roman Power which are now likewise their Afflictors and will remain till the Lord comes and then will they be destroyed with Fire with the Perdition of the rest of the ungodly Men who knowing the Laws of the Lord will not obey them And then not only the fore-mentioned Heavens and Earth of People will be burnt up that is that paâ—t of the Earth where the devouring Storm cometh mentioned Psalm 11.6 Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tsmpest and then it is the hail will sweep away the refuge of lies Isaiah 28.17 Whereby it sheweth there will be Hail mixed with Fire as was in Egypt Exod. 9.23,25 For the Storm of Hail in Isaiah and the Storm of Fire in the Psalms hath â—ts tendency to one and the same time And this Hail is said to come down on the Forrest Isaiah 32.19 At which time Israel and the rest of the Nations that are saved will be safe in Israel's Land whilst the Earth is renewing as I have largly proved in the fore-mentioned Book of the Figurative Speeches But because the Adopted Seed to whom this is spoken have ' transgressed the Laws changed the Ordinances therefore the Curse devoureth the Earth and the Inhabitants thereof burned and few Men left ' Isaiah 24.5,6 That is few Men will be found Righteous among the fore-mentioned so as to be left when the other are destroyed for this Earth of People that has so wilfully offended â—he Transgressions ' thereof shall be heavy upon it and it shall fall and not rise again ' verse 20. So as in the first Judgment there will be some Sentenced to everlasting Punishment according as the Lord by the Parable declares Matth. 25.46 And the wilful Opposers of the Truth will likewise be raised to receive their Condemnation for then the Saints will rise to everlasting Life and some to Shame and everlasting Contempt Daniel 12.2 For they that neglect the greater Salvation fall under the greater Condemnation For then the Heathen Powers of Rome or otherwise called Heavens that wilfully resisted the Truth when the Holy Ghost was given for the Confirmation thereof will rise to receive Punishment and therefore likewise said to be kept in store as well as the Heavens of the Christian Rome which has made Lies their Refuge For these sdumean Heavens or mystical Babylon will be the Heavens that will be on Fire and the Elements that will melt with fervent heat of which St. Peter spake But he saith neverthelâ—ss we according to his promise look for new heavens and a new eaerth wherein dwelleth Righteousness 2 Pet. 3.12,13 For the Apostles always had their Eye to the Prophesies as not to teach in contradiction to the Promises And God saith Isaiah 65.17,18 For behold I create new heavens and new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into mind But be you glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her People a joy And because God would have us take notice what this is that he here Creates he therefore saith Behold I Create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her People a joy This is the new Heavens and new Earth that God Created upon the old Foundation the which is Israel of which Foundation Christ is the chief corner Stone And why is it here said that God will Create new Heavens and new Earth because they are such Heavens and such Earth as was never here such before as to have Righteousness dwelling in them as will be when Jerusalem is made a rejoycing and her People a joy For when Christ first came the ruling Power was not given him though he had then Righteousness dwelling in him and it is said these Heavens came down from above Isaiah 45.8 Drop down ye heavens from above and let the skies pour down righteousness let the earth open and let them bring forth salvation and let righteousness spring up together I the Lord have created it This Righteousness the Lord Creates when he comes down with all his Saints which are the Heavens that comes from above then will he pour down Righteousness and then the Earth of his People will bring forth Salvation and then Salvation and Righteousness will spring up together For the Covenant is to them and their Children and to as many of us as are found in our Obedience and in that day God will appoint Salvation for Walls and Bulwarks Isaiah 26.1 Thus the Prophets