is done to the Figtree but also if ye shall say unto this Mountain be thou removed and be thou cast into the Sea and it shall be done 22. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in Prayer believing ye shall receive This Christ spake to his Disciples unto whom he afterward gave as great power to as that of the removing of Mountains when he sent upon them the Holy Ghost and the Power of working Miracles and there is no doubt but if they had said to the Mountain be thou removed into the Sea but it should have been done as well as when Elijah called for Fire to come down from Heaven But these promises belong not to us but those that find they have Power to do these Miracles may believe they do belong to them Now here is some difference betvven vvhat is said in these Verses and vvhat is said in the former for there it is said that they shall say to this Mountain be thou removed and it shall be done but in these last Verses it is said if you shall say to this Mountain be you removed and it shall be so In the former there should be nothing impossible for them to do But in these vvhatsoever they should ask believingly they should receive Now as St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 13,2 And tho I have the gift of Prophecy and understand all Misteries and all knowledg And tho I have all Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have no Charity I am nothing 3. Altho I bestow all my goods to feed the Poor and tho I give my hody to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing Now these Mountains that St. Paul here speaks of doth appear to be some inbred Corruption which a man might find some inconvenience in And so for fear of Hell he becomes terrified and therefore no longer willing to live in them having all Faith as to believe the whole Revealed Will of God in his Word And therefore when he finds that he in his own strength was not able to overcome them then he goes to fetch strength from the the Lord in making his Addresses to him for his Assistance and having thereby gain'd power to remove these Mountains yet if his Heart is not drawn out in the Love of God and Christ thereby he is still nothing for it is our Love that God requireth and it is that which will launch with us into the World that is to come As to that word which in these new Translations is termed Charity is in the old Translation Love as in the Original For by Love vve extend our selves to God as vvell as to our fellovv Creatures vvhich by Charity vve cannot do Now as for those places of Scriptvre vvhere Christ and his Apostles saith he that believeth in me or he that believeth in Christ shall be saved is only in short to remember them of the Lord 's Revealed Will in his Word vvhich if they do so believe in the Lord as to make his Commands and Precepts the rule of their Lives to live according thereunto they shall be saved The vvhich is a clear demonstration that the Lord hath by himself and his Apostles left us Instructions vvhich vve are to believe by vvhich Salvation is attainable The vvhich St. Paul's vvords does farther clear 1 Cor. 15.1 Moreover Brethren I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you which also ye have received and wherein ye stand By which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I Preached unto you unless ye have believed in vain And St. Peter faith 1 Pet. 1.21,22 Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the Dead and gave him Glory that your Faith and Hope might be in God Seeing ye have purified your Souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit see that ye Love one another with a pure Heart fervently We here see this Faith purifieth the Soul and extendeth it self in Love for God is Love And St. Peter saith in Acts 15.9 That God put no difference between us and them purifying their Hearts by Faith By vvhich vve see if vve have a saving faith it vvill vvork the same effect in us This is spoken of the Election 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 of those that were Christ's standing witnesses thro' the World of whom the Lord faith in John 10.27,28 That none can pluck them out of his hand Concerning the Indwelling of Christ in us NOW as to Christ's being in us and as to the indwelling of the Spirit with us I shall here set down what St. Paul saith 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be roprobates Now we are to take notice what he here saith in the former part of the verse the which was that we should examin our selves whether we are in the Faith and that we should prove our selves as much as to say that is the way to know whether Christ is in us or no And in the Ephesians he tells us plainly how it is Christ is said to dwell in us where he saith in Ephes 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith that ye being rooted and grounded in Love By which we may clearly see it is by Faith and Love that Christ is said to dwell in our Hearts And therefore St. Paul saith in 1 Cor. 16.22 If any Man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him him be Anathema Maranatha The which is let him be Accursed and if accursed besure he is a Reprobate Now if the indwellings of Christ in us is by Faith and Love then the best way to know whether Christ hath such an Indwelling in us or no is by our Obedience to him in our close walking with him according to his Revealed Will in his Word And if so we shall have the Spirit which is the Comforter more or less bearing Witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God And St. Paul here speaks of the Works of the Flesh where he saith Rom. 8.5 to the 10. v. They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit For to be carnally minded is Death but to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace Because the carnal mind is entirely against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And if Christ be in you the Body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is Life because of righteousness We see that the Spirit here spoken of is no other but a Spirit of Complaiscency to God and Christ in that their Wills are brought over into the Love
Wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone That is they sought it by the righteousness of the works of the ceremonial Law which consisted in sacrifices washings and often purifications Of which the Apostle saith Heb. 10.1,2 For the law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of the things can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect For then would they have ceased to be offered because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sin Now this was the Law to which Israel trusted to take away their sin Of which Law or Statutes God saith Ezek. 20.25 they were not good Because as it is said in the Hebrews they were but a shadow of the good things to come and therefore could not make the comers thereunto perfect But had Israel employed their utmost diligence in their obedience to the moral Law they had not been left to stumble at that stumbling stone as God by the Prophets hath declared And also Christ himself saith Matth. 23.23,24 Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin and have omitted the weightier matters of the law judgment mercy and faith these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone Ye blind guides which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel And again he saith Matth. 19.16,17 One came and said unto him good Master what good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life And the Lord said unto him if thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments And again Luke 10.25,26,27,28 Another came unto the Lord saying Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life He said unto him What is written in the Law how readest thou And he answering said thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy strength and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy self And he said unto him Thou hast answered right this do and thou shalt live And St. Paul saith Rom. 10.6,7,8,9,10,11 The righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise Say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto Salvation For the Scripture saith whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed The which word of faith mentioned in the 8. v. comprehends all that is contained in the Gospel relating to man's salvation Wherein is declared Christ coming from Heaven his rising again from the dead with the conditions on which Christ and Salvation is offered The knowledge of which he saith was in their mouth and in their heart it being that which he had preached to them And whereas he saith in the 9. v. Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Now this verse as they have parted the words is a contradiction to all the Scripture but the words that go before and the verse that follows after explain the Apostles meaning Where he saith in the 10. v. Rom. 10.10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness The which we no sooner are converted but we resign up our selves to him desiring in all things to walk suitably to him the which if we so do we may believe that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us For it is only the sincerity of the heart as to the truth of their belief which will produce a holy life according to the will of God For it is said Heb. 11.12,14 Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Now what the Apostle here said in the 9. v. was to the Church that he had before instructed and of whom he had had proof of their sincerity and therefore incouraged them to go on in the open acknowledging and confessing of the Lord although they were but a few People amongst a multitude of Heathens And that their faith might not flag as to God's raising Christ from the dead he lets them understand it was a great point of their Salvation according to what he saith 1 Cor. 15.14,16,17 If Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain For if the dead rise not then is not Christ raised and if Christ be not raised your faith is vain ye are yet in your sins By which we see it is one of the material points of our Salvation And St. Paul saith Rom. 10.12,13,14 There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed Here we see in these verses he speaks in general to all but in the 9. v. he speaks to a particular People or Persons to whom he wrote Now in the 12. v. Whereas he saith there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek That is salvation was alike common to all that did alike call upon him And whereas he saith in the 13. v. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved I hope that you do not here apprehend that it was only with a vocal voice that if they so call that they shall be saved No it is the voice of the heart that there may be a suitable frame of Spirit whereby we may call upon God as is required for it is the tongue that expresseth but the meaning or voice of the heart and the tongue is not the man but a small member of him And had we no tongue to express our desires yet the sincerity of our heart in our affections towards God and being sensible of our own unworthiness is that voice which the Lord will hear And like unto this was the voice of the Malefactor that was crucified with Christ who in the sence of his own unworthiness and of Christ's righteousness called on the Lord for mercy Luk. 23.40,41,42,43 faith in him being strong when the Lord was most afflicted and eclipsed which made his believing on him at that time more wonderful but it was the Lord look'd in upon his heart he not before
the promises The which is if we find that our hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water the Water of Baptism Then it is he saith in Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that hath promised V. 24. And let us consider one another to provoke unto Love and good Works For if we do not these things the profession of our Faith will little avail us For he saith in the 26th verse If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sins V. 27. But a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and â—…ery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries V. 28. He that despised Moses's Law dyed without mercy under two or three Witnesses V. 29. Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was Sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despight unto the Spirit of Grace V. 30 For we know him that saith Vengeance belongeth unto me I will recompence saith the Lord. And again the Lord shall judg his People Now whereas he saith If we sin wilfully after we have received the Knowledg of the Truth Here by these words you see he includes himself and the then gathered Church that he wrote unto That if he or any of them should sin wilfully after they have received the knowledg of the Truth there remains no more Sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment Now these were the Called the Elected and the Chosen to whom he gives all this warning to let them understand there was a possibility of their falling off and to let them understand that their Calling and Election was such as brought them into the knowledg of Christ and themselves so far Renewed and Enlightned as to put them into a Capacity of obedience in which capacity they must use their utmost indeavour to make their Calling and Election sure For after God has Illuminated us that is enlightned us then he tries us to prove ouâ— obedience either by Prosperity or Adversity or whatever other Affliction he shall see meet to lay upon us even to the withdrawing of his comfortable Presence from us to see whether our belief in him is such as to take to the Rules that he hath set before us as to be found doing our utmost endeavour in maintaining a warfare and making a continual Resistance for the doing of which we must still seek to God by Prayer for his Assistance then with confidence we may rely on his Promise who hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee And S. James saith in c. 4.7,8 Submit your selves therefore to God resist the Devil and he will flee from you Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you And St. Paul still incouraging them to hold out bids them v. 33. Call to remembrance the formsr days in which after they were illuminated ye endured a great fight of Affliction But when God in the Wilderness did prove Israel they did not stand in the day of Tryal For which all that was numbred of them from 20 years old and upwards that came out of Egypt died in the Wilderness save Caleb and Joshua Num. 23.21 Now whereas Balaam saith God hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen perversness in Israel In which words he had reference to the time to come and so speaks in the Scripture way of speaking and not that those words did appertain to them at that time but in the time to come when God shall take away their sins For he is of purer Eyes than to behold inipuity and let it go unpunished But it is then he sees no iniquity in Jacob when he hath removed all iniquity from them which the Lord hath promised to do at the time when he again comes For at that time when they were in the Wilderness all those heavy Judgments came upon them because of their Iniquity And also it is further Evident that he intended not those words to them that were then left of Israel For afterward in Numb 25.3,9 they again sinned in committing Whoredom and Idolatry with Moab as in the 3d. v. And Israel joyned himself to Baal Peor and the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel so as there dyed for that Transgression 24 thousand as it is said in the 9th verse Now it is farther evident when Balaam was at that time with Balak he speake to him of the second coming of Christ for in Numb 24.17,18 He saith of Christ I shall see him but not now I shall behold him but not nigh there shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the corners of Moab and destroy all the Children of Seth. Which in antient Writings is said to be the Children of ease and quiet and without doubt meant of her that saith I sit as a Queen and am no Widow nor shall see no sorrow but her destruction at the coming of the Lord shall be at an instant suddenly as here it is said when the Septer shall rise out of Jacob and destroy all the Children of Seth. And in Numb 23.23 It is also said Sureâ—y there is no enchantment against Jacob neither any Divination against Israel according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel what hath God wrought That was then there could be no Enchantment against Jacob nor any Divination against Israel when they were not committing Sin But by woful experience we know that when Israel had transgressed by sinning then God suffered the Enchantments of the King of Babylon to be successful for to accomplish his threatned Judgments against Israel as it is said in Ezek. 21.21 For the King of Babylon stood at the parting of the way at the head of the two ways to use Divination He made his Arrows bright he consulted with images he looked in the liver v. 22. At his Right-hand was the Divination for Jerusalem by which we see this Prophesy of Balaam doth particularly appertain to the time to come and then there shall be no Inchantment against Jacob nor Divination against Israel for evermore And the latter part of this Verse doth make it farther appear his meaning was for the time to come wherein he saith according to this time which Argues that there should be another time according to what was then in which it should be said what hath God wrought And also the last Testimony of Ruben gives us an Account of the great Afflictions and Repentance that he had for that sin of his when weeping he said Hearken ye my Brethren and you my Children give Ear to the words of your Father Râ—ber mark what I give in charge behold I command you this day before the God of Heaten
The First Book A Clear and Brief Explanation upon the Chief Points of the New Testament The Second Book Proving the near Approach of Christ's Kingdom with the Signs of the Times The Third Book A Rehearsal of the Covenant of Moses with his then Prophecying of the Firing the Mountains Also proving the Root of Gall and Wormwood and the Root of Bitterness to be one and the same The Fourth Book The Figurative Speeches by which God hath veiled the Secrets contained in his Word until the Time of the End which is the Time determined by the Lord they should be revealed Dan. 12.4.7 Zech. 14.7 The Fifth Book The Christian Belief Shewing what a Christian ought to believe and how it is that Christ must be ours if we are his The Sixth Book Proving Three Worlds and Three Foundations The Sin against the Holy Ghost The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Battel of Gog and Magog The Seventh Book A short Collection of all the Heads of the Chief Points and Mistaken Places contained in the Scriptures that the Truth may the better be retained in our Memories By M. MARSIN LONDON Printed and Sold by Edward Pool at the Sign of the Half Moon under the Royal-Exchange Cornhill John Gwillim in Bishopigate-street over against the Royal James Mrs. Mitchel at the Crown and Cushion VVestminster-hall By Abel Roper at Black Boy over against St. Dunstan's-Church in Fleet-street 1698. Price Three Shillings NOw God of his mercy according to his promise hath made plain his Word let us take heed that we are not found like those that say to God We desire not the knowledge of thy ways Job 21.14 But let all take to the Lord's direction in the search of the Scriptures For he saith It is they that testifie of him John 5.39 Therefore we should not lean to Man nor our own received Opinion but see if those Truths which are here discovered are not made plain by the Word For the Scriptures as they declare the Lord's first comming so they do much more declare his second coming to Judge and Reign as by all the Prophets is foretold and likewise by the Apostles confirmed Acts 3.21 Now Christs first coming was but darkly set down so as not only the Jews but the Devils themselves were deceived thereby and therefore said Why art thou come to torment us before the time as knowing that Christ had a time in which he should Reign And as Christ first comming was fulfilled in the Letter of the Word so also will Christ's second coming be fulfilled in the Letter of the Word And it was because of Israels sinfulness that Christ was laid in Sion as a stumbling-stone so as they knew not the day of their Visitation and how can we clear our selves of the like guiltiness as not to fear that that day should overtake us as a snare seeing also it was for sin that the Gentile Churches were left to delusion because they tooke pleasure in Iniquity but the first Churches were not in darkness for that day to overtake them at unawares How comes it then that we are so much in the dark as to this matter Is it not because of Sin that we have lost the knowledge of it and therefore also have no desiâ—e to know it But the Lord according to his promise has now brought the true meaning of his Word to light that thereby knowledge might be increased and that the wise in heart may consider it and that by their example others by them may be brought to the knowledge of the Truth But whoever had rather the Glory of God and the good of Souls lie at stake then themselves found in a mistake let such consider how they will answer it at the great day And the Lord said My People are destroyed for lack of knowledge Hos 4.6 And not because God had rebrobated them nor because they were not his People A CLEAR and BRIEF EXPLANATION Upon the Chief Points In the New-Testament Where by laying Scripture to Scripture It is fully proved What is the Faith that Justifies And what it is to be a Believer Also the Faith of Abraham clearly explained and all other Controversal Points relating to Faith plainly Stated and Answered With the Remnant and first Churches peculiar Call Also the more General Callings Likewise proving that the Law and Gospel speaks only to those that are under them The whole laid down in a plain and easie Method fitted to the understanding of the meanest Reader By M. Mersen London Printed and Sold by John Clarke at the Bible in the Old Change John Gwillim in Bishops-gate-street over against the Royal James Mrs. Mitchel at the Crown and Cushion in Westminster-Hall and Mr. Garin over against the Crown Tavern in the Strand the corner of St. Clements Church Yard 1697. The TABLE THE Faith of Abraham clearly explained Chap. 2. p. 7 The Election of the Remnant and first Churches C. 3. p. 18 A Believer justified by Christ which they could not be by the Law of Moses explained Ch. 4. p. 31 Such as have believed may afterward fall away Chap 5. p. 35 The Conversion of the Jaylor explained Chap. 6. p. 37 The abolishing the Ceremonial Law Chap. 7. p. 39 Of things Strangled and Blood Chap. 8. p. 41 What is required of a Christian Chap. 9. p. 42 What we ought to fear and what we ought not to fear C. 9. p. 47 Christ being the Author of Faith explained Chap. 10. p. 49 What it is to be born of God Chap. 11. p. 50 How it is that he that is born of God Sinneth not Chap. 12. p. 52 The meaning of being born again explained Chap. 13. p. 54 The Wind blowing where it listeth explained p. 55 Of being in the Faith or turning Reprobate expl Chap. 14. p. 56 The everlasting Life that is now given the believer explained Chap. 15. p. 58 A Believer not coming into Condemnation exp Chap. 16. p. 60 A belief in Christ further explained Chap. 16. p. 65 Shewing who are they that are Condemned already Chap. 17. p. 72 The eternal purpose explained Chap. 18. p. 76 God Worlding all after the Councel of his own Will explained Chap. 19. p. 77 Chosen from the Foundation and before the Foundation Explained Chap 20. p. 80 The Call to the Eternal inheritance explained Chap. 21. p. 82 The Gifts and Callings of God explained Chap. 22. p. 84 Adding to the Church and ordaining to Eternal Life and Christ dying for the World explained Chap. 23. p. 85 Whereas Christ saith in believing that he is the Son of God is the Rock of which he built his Church and his Church is not only his Eact but likewise all them that they him against whom the gates of hel shall not prevail For he is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 For the Faith that God requireth of us is to believe that be is and that he is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 And to shew the immutability of God Therefore it is said of God That whom he loves he loves to the end for he is unchangeable in himself for according to his promise whether Condition aâ—or Absolute he never first with-draws from any And therefore Châ—…st saith If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide 〈◊〉 my live Joh 15.10 ERRATA Page the â—4 is wâ—…ting in the last â—re hest thou that thou diâ—st not receive And p. 75. l. 25. Psa 90.23 Chap. I. This is to prove when and at what time the Believer is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law THAT it is at the Believer's first Resignation of himself to Christ in a willingness to take his Yoke upon him so as to render his sincere Obedience to him then is Christ's Righteousness imputed to him for his Justification This being according to what St. Paul saith concerning the Churches at their first Reception they being brought out of sin darkness and errour Therefore he saith of them Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins that are past In these words he fully shews it was their sins which were committed before conversion which upon their conversion and resignation of themselves to Christ they received remission for those past sins Rom. 3.28 Gal. 2.16 Therefore the Apostle concludes that a man was justified by faith without the deeds of the Law Gal. 2.16 that is as before said at his first resignation of himself to Christ to yield him his love and sincere obedience he is then justified by Christ without the deeds of the Law from all his past sins Therefore he saith Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect it is God that justifieth for upon their conversion they received remission so as none of their past sins should be laid to their charge for God had then justified them by the imputation of Christ's Righteousness and therefore he saith Rom. 10 4. Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth the which belief must be in Christ and his VVord in which he requires our love and sincere obedience in all things as in Mat. 28. v. 20. and then is Christ the end fulfilling or comâ—…eating of the Law for their Justification for they are no sooner thus justified by Christ but they must live unto Christ and then he will persist to fulfil and compleat the end of the Law in them who continue to walk in sincere obedience to him And so the Apostle clearly explains these words where he saith Rom 8 4. That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Here he shews what us these are to whom the Law is thus fulfilled That it was to as many of them as walk not after the flesh but after the spirit And he also saith verse 6. For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace v. 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God For it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Now tho' the carnal mind is at enmity against God yet the Man is no longer at enmity against â—…od than he retains that carnal mind So neither is the believer any longer a believer than he retains a mind and will in Subjection to the Law of God For he saith Chap 6.16 His Servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of Sin unto Death or of Obedience unto Righteousness Now whereas the Apostle saith to the Church of Ephesus Eph. 2.10 We are his Workmanship Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God had afore ordain'd that we should walk in them VVhich shews they were no sooner justified and set clear from the guilt of sin by the imputation of Christ's Righteousness but it was also fore-ordained of God that they should live in Good works and therefore Christ saith The Tree is known by its fruit Mat. 7.17,20 And whereas St. Paul saith Rom. 10.9,10 That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth confession is made unto Salvation VVhich shews if the belief in us does not produce a Righteous life then it is altogether unavailable And whereas St. Paul saith Tit. 3.5 It is not by works of Righteousness which they had done but according to his mercy he saved them by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost This also shews when they were thus saved from their Sins That it was at their first conversion and resignation of themselves to Christ And he further shews how they were saved That it was by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost which was shed on them abundantly This was only at the establishing of the first Christian Churches for it is evident that there was no such abundant pourings forth of Spirit upon believers afterwards Therefore these places of Scripture are not fitly applicable to us who are born Children of the visible Church and have the Call of the Gospel from whom is expected an improvement of the season of Grace that God hath put into our hands For altho' the Gentiles that had not the knowledge of God were taken into mercy without works of Righteousness yet the Jews who had the knowledge of God were then excluded his mercy because there was not good works found in them as God by all the Prophets and Christ himself declareth Matth. 23.23,24,25,26,27 Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for ye pay Tithe of Mint and Anise and Cummin and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law judgment mercy and faith these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone Here these that had the knowledge of God and the Law the Practical part was first requir'd of them as justice and mercy before any ground for a true faith to take place And whereas the Apostle saith in Galatians c. 3. v. 21,22,23,24,25 Is the Law against the promises of God God forbid for if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe But before faith came we were kept under the Law shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed Wherefore the Law was our School-master to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith But after that faith is come we are no longer under a School-master Now whereas he saith the Law was their
of God by halves as to the threatnings and mercy which is contained in the word which is the promise of Salvation to the obedient and likewise punishments to the disobedient But they like us believing the word of God by halves performed the lesser matters of the Law but left the weight ier undone for which Christ was laid in Zion as a stumbling stone so as they should not believe in him but this their disobedience was appointed them for their former rebellion and the stroke fell upon their Children that were alike partakers with them in iniquity Now the Faith that had been so long wanting in them was that which Christ in a more particular manner spake to In that they believed the word of God by halves is clear by the parable which he put forth concerning Lazarus and the rich Man in his request to Abraham that he would send Lazarus to his Brethren to warn them that they might escape that place of torment but Abraham said They have Moses and the prophets let them hear them but he still persisted Saying If one went to them from the dead they would repent But Abraham said If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be persuaded tho' one rose from the dead Luke 16.27 c. Whereby it clearly shews that they did not believe Moses and the Prophets as they should have done so as to have lived a holy life Saint Peter saith of Christ Acts 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witness that thro' his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins That is such as believe in him according to the tenour of his Word and Gospel in which he requires our observing to do whatsoever he commands us Matth. 28.20 And upon the will 's consenting to these conditions they received remission of sins And whereas it is said in the following verse While Peter spake these words the holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word Now these that at this time heard the word on whom the Holy Ghost thus suddenly sell were before proselytes of the Gentiles who truly feared God wrought righteousness as in ver 34. and 35. But others that believed of the first Churches which had before lived in sin were to repent and be haptized before they could receive the Holy Ghost Chap. V. Such as have Believed may afterwards fall away SAINT Peter saith Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come from the persence of the Lord. By these words he sheweth that upon Repentance and Resignation of themselves to Christ for him to have the ruling power in the heart at which time it is that such receive the remission of their sins Yet their sins according to the text are not blotted out until the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. So as if they again wilfully yield to Sin their former trespasses will again be required of them The like the Lord saith in the parable concerning the Servant that owed ten thousand Talents who besought his Lord for Pardon and his Lord forgave him the debt But for the Cruel usage of his Fellow-Servant his Lord again required his former debt for which he delivered him to the tormentors for that debt which he had before forgiven him Matth. 18.24,26,27,30,34 And the Lord saith Ezek 33.13,14,15 When I shall say to the Righteous that he shall surely live if he trust to his own Righteousness and commit iniquity all his righteousness shall not be remembred but for his iniquity that he hath committed he shall die for it Again when I say to the wicked thou shalt surely die if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die Here we see that the promise of life is no longer to the righteous man than he continues to do righteously Neither is the threatned death to the wicked any longer than he continues to do wickedly So likewise neither is the eternal life promised the believer of any longer continuance than he persists believing that Salvation is to be had according to the tenour of the Gospel In which Gospel is required our love and sincere obedience Matth. 10.37 Christ saith He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me And he also saith Mark 8.34,35 Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel the same shall save it Whereby it clearly shews that we must part with the delights advantages and pleasures of this world for Christ as well as life it self when call'd for And Christ saith of some that they receive the word with Joy and for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away Luke 8.13 Whereby the Lord fully declares the promise is no longer to the believer than he remains believing in him and his word Which word requires our practical obedience The which if we perform then are we his Disciples indeed For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Rom. 2.13 But the first Churches being in a particular manner chosen and called unto whom the holy Ghost was given whereby they generally stood tho' some fell away by making shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 but to the succeeding generations of the Gentile-Churches that came in by the call of the Gospel with the assistance of the good motions of the Spirit of God of whom Christ saith Many are called but few are chosen because of their not improving of their day of grace which God had put into their hands Matth. 20.16 Chap. VI. The Conversion of the Jaylor COncerning the Jaylor Acts 16.30,31,32,33 when after he was awakned by the Miracle he saw he then said Sirs VVhat must I do to be saved And they said Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house And they spake unto him the words of the Lord and to all that were in his house The which words of the Lord was that which he commanded his Disciples to teach Which was the condition upon which Christ had offered Salvation Mat. 28.20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you The which upon their wills consenting to yield their love and obedience in a belief that Christ was able to save them they were baptized And concerning Philip and the Eunuch Acts 8.35,36,37 Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture and preached unto him JESUS And as they went on their way they came to a certain water and the Eunuch said See here is water what doth hinder me to be baptized And Philip said If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest and he answered and said
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Now we are to take notice that this Man was one that truly feared God and in that he then believed that Christ was the Son of God which he no sooner believed but he knew that he must render to him the like obedience as he had done unto God The which he believing was baptized And also the Text saith that Philip Preached to him Jesus and in so doing he taught him the conditions upon which Christ had offered life and salvation to which he must yield if he would become justified by him Chap. VII Abolishing the Ceremonial Law the Yoke taken off of the Neck of the Disciples ACts 15.6,7,8 And the Apostles and Elders came together for to consider of this matter And when there had been much disputing Peter rose up and said unto them Men and Brethren ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel and believe And God which knoweth the hearts bare them witness giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did unto us Now whereas he saith God which knoweth the hearts bare them witness giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did unto us That is God bare them witness that this belief in them was according to the tenour of the Gospel and therefore God gave to the first Gentile-Churches the Holy Ghost as he did to the believing Jews And therefore he saith in the 9th verse And put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by Faith Here we see that by this Faith their hearts were purified in their believing the mercy was not to be received nor retained without a complying frame of spirit to the will of God in yielding their obedience to the Gospel which requires our love to God and his Commands Whereas he saith in verse 10. Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a Yoke upon the neck of the Disciples which neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear This Yoke which he here speaks of was Circumcision Sacrifices and often Washings and Purifications which were very burdensom and not profitable for they could no ways make the comers thereunto perfect But Faith in Jesus Christ begets a holy life For in the believing that Christ is become the Author of eternal Salvation to all that obey him Heb. 5.9 The belief of this makes Faith a purifying Faith But whereas the Apostle saith Acts 15.11 But we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they That is the Believers of the Jews that were Circumcised which had yielded their obedience unto Christ did alike believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ they should be saved even as the Believers of the Gentiles that had embraced the Faith in yielding their consent to be obedient to the Gospel For as the Believers of the Gentiles were saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ without Circumcision and the Ceremonial Law So the Believers of the Jews did also believe that they might be saved without them as well as the Gentiles But as for the Moral Law we are as much obliged to keep it as ever Israel was Rom. 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified By these words Saint Paul declares that the Moral Law was in as full force as ever it was But as for the Ceremonial Law which afterwards was termed the Law of Moses about which was this Contention it being then to be abolished This is further treated of Acts 21.21 They are informed of thee that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to Circumcise their Children neither to walk after their Customs And so in v. 23,24 of the same chapter it is to the like effect Chap. VIII Of things strangled and Blood NOW as to the things forbidden in the Ceremonial Law which we are still to refrain he singles out and writes concerning them Acts 15.28,29 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things that ye abstain from Meats offered to Idols and from Blood and from things strangled acd from Fornication These things not being forbidden in the Moral Law it was thought good by the Holy Ghost and by them to leave a Command that those things should still be refrained But as for the Doctrine of the Gospel in which is included the Moral Law the Apostles had before well instructed the Church in In which Gospel there is required obedience to all God's Commands and Precepts with a Promise of the Everlasting Inheritance to them that obey Rev. 2.10 This their Faith in believing the Promise carried them out into all good works even to suffering and to death Chap. IX What is required of a Christian to be a Christian indeed shewing that he is also obliged to keep the Moral Law SAINT Paul exhorteth Timothy To fight the good fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 In which Faith we see there is included a Battle to be fought And St. Paul saith The World was crucified to him and he to the World Gal. 6.14 And that he that is in Christ must become a new Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Rom. 12.1,2 And That ye present your bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service And be not conformed to this World but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God And in Ephes 4.22,23,24 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts And be renewed in the spirit of your mind And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Wherefore putting away lying speak every man truth to his neighbour Gal. 6.7,8,9 Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the slesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting Let us not be weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all especially unto them who are of the houshold of Faith Gal. 5.22,23,24 The fruits of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no Law And they that are in Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Now tho' there was no Law to condemn such yet there was the Law of God to guide them And of such as these the Apostle spake when he said They were not under the Law but under Grace The like he saith Gal. 5.18 But if
themselves without fear Clouds they are without water That is for any to feed themselves without fear the Apostle terms them Clouds without water But for Believers to be timerously fearful of themselves because of their own weakness lest they should offend that fear is pleasing in the sight of God because it keeps them in a diligent watchfulness And were there not great cause of fear the Apostle would not have so forewarned the Saints of that roaring Lion that walks about seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 And of such as fear it is said The Lord will deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage Heb. 2.15 Here we see there is comfort for them that so fear But as for such as are mistrustfully fearful of the faithfulness and power of God that he will not perform his promise according to his word and therefore they will not venture the loss of the delights and advantages of this World so as to obey his Commands and Precepts of such fearful and unbelieving it is of whom the Lord saith They shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21.8 Therefore St. Paul saith to the Saints Heb. 10.35 Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward That is confidence in the power and faithfulness of God for as we believe that God is so we must believe that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. v. 6. And that the Crown of Life according to the promise of the Lord will be given to them that continue faithful to the death Rev. 2.10 Therefore St. Paul saith For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the promise Heb. 10.36 For whosoever doeth the will of God comes in as Heirs to the promise And accordingly St. Paul saith 1 Cor. 9.26 I therefore so run not as uncertainly so sight I not as one that beateth the Air. This being the Apostle's faith his confidence in the faithfulness of the promiser which made him thus run and fight for in so doing he knew that he was not at an uncertainty And this is the faith or belief which is to the saving of the Soul For verily there is a reward for the righteous Psal 58.11 For God doth never justifie the ungodly by the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ but when they turn from sin unto God for God will no otherwise clear the guilty 1 John 4.18 He saith Perfect love casteth out fear That is where perfect love is it casteth out all slavish fear but not a filial Child-like fear but it is not every sincere-hearted Christian can be thus assured they are made perfect in love and those that are so are not thereby assured that their love will so remain For the Lord saith of the Church of Ephesus That she was fallen from her first love for which she was threatned to be removed out of his favour if she did not repent and do her first works Rev. 2.4,5 Chap. X. Christ the Author of Faith HEB. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of Faith For had not God promised Christ and by him everlasting Life to all them that should keep his Covenant there had been no ground for Faith or hope of Salvation Therefore of this Faith Christ is the Author the which faith or hope caused all those Worthies of old to undergo all those difficulties mentioned in the foregoing chapter which are as a Cloud of Witnesses to incourage us to suffer and to follow the Lord Jesus thro' all difficulties Who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God ch 12. v. 2. The which if we accordingly deny our selves in obedience to him Christ will then compleatly finish our faith in giving the Crown of Life to them who have continued faithful to the death Chap. XI What it is to be born of God and to overcome the World 1 JOHN 5.1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him Now we must always look to the words that go before and to those that follow after if we would come to a right understanding of the word For in that he saith They that love God they likewise love Christ that is begotten of him or else they cannot be born of God For if they or we are not by our believing that Christ is the Son of God brought off from the delights of this World we cannot be born of God For it is such a belief in us that Christ is the Son of God which draws out our heart to love and obey him as God or else our belief in him is not such as makes us to be born of God Therefore he saith in verse 2. By this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God keep his Commandments For by the Commandments of God we are commanded to love the Children of God and by keeping the commands of God it is we know that we love God therefore the Apostle saith in v. 3. This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous By which we see our love to God and Christ is in keeping their Commands And he saith in verse 4. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the victory that overcometh the World even our faith What meaneth the Apostle here in saying that by faith they overcame the World He meaneth all the vain fleshly and covetous desires of any thing relating to the World which by their faith they overcame Which faith set them on work looking for the reward promised which is the Crown of Life But notwithstanding some have again been overcome by the World and so made shipwrack of faith and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1.19 and others as in 2 Pet. 2.18,19 They allure thro' the lust of the flesh thro' much wantonness those that were clean escaped from them who live in errour While they promise them liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought in bondage By which nothing can be more plain than that those that have had the New Birth wrought in them and have overcome the World may again be overcome by the World and brought into bondage and so the latter end is worse with them than the beginning as in ver 20,21 Now the man that is born of God is brought off from the World and whilst he so continues new-born or brought off from the World he sinneth not because he doth not wilfully commit sin For the sins that are not wilfully committed will not be imputed for Christ remains their Advocate John 5.16 If any man see his
had brought down his will into subjection to Christ in hopes to obtain eternal salvation by him and his love a full satisfaction Therefore he saith after he had spoken of the righteousness of Abraham Gal. 3.7,8 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the Children of Abraham And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the heathen through faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying in thee shall all the nations be blessed This is as I before told you was upon the publication of the Gospel that all that were converted thereby so as to be brought into the fold of Christ they no sooner so believed but that all original and actual sins that they had aforetime committed were done away and they accepted as perfectly righteous in and through the imputed righteousness of Christ by faith in him And so they were excluded from the curse oâ— the law for all their past sins before conversion done by them Gal. 3.9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham That is if they continue faithful as he did And St. Paul farther saith Gal. 3.13,14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us for 〈◊〉 is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith That is if we have not our spirits brought over into a conformity and suitableness to the spirit of Christ then are we not of this faith and so not delivered from the curse of the law And it is further said Rom. 8.6 For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace And St. Paul also saith Rom. 3.20,21,22 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin That is we cannot fulfill the law to that perfection as to become justified thereby But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested being witnessed by the law and the prophets That is by the law with the paschal Lamb and the bloody Sacrifices by the Prophets in that they did all along Prophesie of him Rom. 3.23,24,25 Even the righteousness of God which is by â—aith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all â—hem that believe for there is no difference 〈◊〉 all have sinned and come short of the â—…ry of God Being justified freely by his â—ace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Whom God hath set forth to â—e a propitiation through faith in his blood 〈◊〉 declare his righteousness for the remission 〈◊〉 sins that are past through the forbearance 〈◊〉 God Here he tells them when their â—ns are to be forgiven that it was their â—ast sins before they were brought into â—e faith of Christ that upon their conâ—ersion were all forgiven them As the â—postle saith Rom. 3.26 To declare I say at this â—ne his righteousness that he might be â—ct and the justifier of him which belieâ—…th in Jesus Whereas he saith that â—e might be just which was in that he â—…t the Son of his love according to his â—…omise and so justified them that belieâ—ed in Jesus which belief is as I beâ—…e proved to you for we are no sooner 〈◊〉 Christ but we must become new Creaâ—…res 2 Cor. 5.17 And he saith Rom. 3.27,28 Where is boasting â—en it is excluded by what law of works â—y but by the law of faith Therefore we â—nclude that a man is justified by faith â—ithout the deeds of the law Here Paul â—akes this conclusion that a man is juâ—…fied by faith without the deeds of the law For he here wrot to the Gentiles that had been given to all sin and idolatry to let them understand how they became justified that it was by faith which faith has as large an extent as I have before shewed you and that it must be a faith like Abrahams And in the 25. v. before-mentioned He there tells them when their sins are forgiven so as they become justified without the works of the law Rom. 3.25 that it is upon their conversion that then their forepast sins shall be forgiven them and that they are then justified by faith without the deeds of the law so that iâ— they are suddenly after taken away by death they shall be accepted through the righteousness of Christ And St. Paul saith Rom. 3.29,30 Is he the God of the Jews only is he not also of the Gentiles Yes of the Gentiles also Seeing it is one God which shaâ—… justifie the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith Now Stepheâ— saith to the Jews Acts 7.51 they were uncircumcifed in heart and ears although they were circumcised in the flesh Now the Gentiles were not circumcised yet they aâ—… said to be circumcised by faith then thaâ— must be in heart and ear by which wâ— may also see that this justifying faith 〈◊〉 such as doth produce a holy life Anâ— the Apostle saith Rom. 3.31 Do we then make voâ—… the law through faith God forbid ye 〈◊〉 establish the law That is none can obey the law with that sincerity delight and desire as those that are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands And St. Paul saith of the outward circumcision Gal. 5.6,7,8 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Ye did run well who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you We also here see that saving faith worketh by love and there is no such obedience as that wherein the heart is engaged And he here tells the Galatians that they did run well who did hinder them that they should not obey the truth And before he told them that they had begun in the Spirit by which it was certainly sure they were in the right And he farther lets them understand that it was not of him that called them that this delusion or perswasion came therefore it was by the wiles of Satan and his Instruments that they foolishly were insnared But St. Paul saith Rom. 2.7,8,9,10,11,12,13 To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath Tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of man that doeth 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 For 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 For not
the hearers of the law are justified before God but the doers of the law shall be justified That is as I tell you they were upon their first conversion and resignation justified by their faith in Christ but after we are converted and justified by faith then whilst we have life we must use our diligence to walk in obedience and to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. And here we see he acknowledges the moral law to the greatest height and tells us that we must be judged by it and the Gospel 2 Cor. 7.1 For he saith in the 16. v. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Therefore as St. Peter saith 2 Pet. 3.14 We must be diligent that we may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless And the Apostle saith again 1 Pet. 1.13,14,15 Wherefore gird up the loyns of your mind be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ As obedient Children not fashioning your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation That is endeavour to be holy in all your conversations And as it is said in Heb. Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. By which we see nothing but a close walking with Christ will keep us in the love of Christ for if we sin willfully after we have thus received the knowledge of the truth I find no hope of mercy for the greater light we sin against the greater condemnation we fall under as witness when the Lord was in the Camp of Israel the man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath day was utterly cut off from the Congregation of the Lord. Rom. 15.29,30,31,32,35 Because he despised the word of the Lord therefore was he cut off in his iniquity and was stoned to death So also underneath the evident manifestations of the Spirit of God in the Apostles time we see in the Acts by Ananias and Saphira his Wife Acts 5.1,2,3,4,5 that having joyned themselves to the Church and in that they hypocritically would appear in the sight of the Apostles more devoted to the interest of the Church then really they were therefore St. Peter tells them they had not lyed unto man but unto God for he saith likewise whiles it remained was it not thine own and after it was sold was it not in thine own power why hast thou conceived this in thine heart thou hast not lyed unto men but unto God And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the Ghost By which we see of what dreadful consequence it is for us to pretend to be more holy than we really are Therefore let this be a warning to us to be better than we pretend to be for 't is God that knoweth the heart and tryeth the Spirits of men And also God saith Ezek. 33.12 Therefore thou Son of man say unto the Children of thy people the righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression as for the wickedness of the wicked he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth And the Apostle saith Heb. 6.5,6 that if they willfully sin after they have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the World to come they cannot be renewed by repentance For if we are only of the outward Church we fall short of Salvation and must have our share in the threatned misery and if we deferr repentance and check the good motions of the Spirit we thereby lose the day of grace and so are left of God And if we go to hear the word and do not benefit thereby we are like the Earth which drinketh in the rain Heb. 6.3 yet bearing thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned And if we are willfully ignorant It is said it is only the Fool hates knowledge Pro. 1.22 And God saith my People are destroyed for lack of knowledge Hosea 4.6 And whereas the Lord saith John 5.20,21,22,23,24 For the Father loveth the Son and sheweth him all things that himself doeth and he will shew him greater works than these that ye may marvel For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickneth them even so the Son quickneth whom he will For the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to the Son By this we may plainly see that Christ spake this for the time to come in which he will jduge the World for when he then came it was to teach and to suffer and now as he is at the right hand of God it is said he sits there as an Advocate with the Father but when he comes again he is then our Judge therefore this is spoken for that time when all judgment shall be given to him The Lord saith That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him Now the Jews and Turks honour him not as they do the Father therefore spoken for time to come And he saith Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life That is when the Lord again cometh that them which he then findeth thus will have everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but then will be passed from death unto life And he saith John 5.24,25,26,27,28,29 Verily verily I say unto you the hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live For as the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself By all the foregoing words it doth evidently appear to be the first resurrection the which will be at the coming of the Lord and here spoken in the usual way of Scripture speaking in mentioning that which is to come as though it were already come Now although the wicked are termed to be dead in sin yet in the foregoing words there was made no mention of them but of the judgment that was committed to Christ Neither is the voice of Christ after his Ascension said to call home any but St. Paul And the Holy Ghost was not given till after the People were brought home by the voice of his Messengers in the call of the Gospel Therefore this must needs be meant of the first Resurrection which will be when Christ again cometh And the Lord saith Joh. 5.27,28,29 And
it is this World to come that he has been instructing the Church in And also in Ephs 1.17 he saith to the like effect in that he saith The eyes of their understanding being inlightned that ye may know the hope of his calling and what is the riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints V. 19. And what is the exceeding greatness of his Power to us ward who believe according to the working of his mighty Power V. 20. Which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the Dead and set him on his own right hand in Heavenly places V. 21. Far above all Principalities and Powers and Might and Dominion and every name that is named not only in this World but also in that which is to come Now what can be this world to come Heaven cannot be said to come which was from all Eternity and we all have held the Saints are to go thither and altho Christ was at that time in Heaven yet the Apostle then speaks of the Power that Christ should have in the World to come by all which we may plainly see that it is that World which is not yet manifest and since it is to come it must be here manifested and David speaking of the Glorious Time Psal 96.10 Say among the Heathen the Lord Reigneth the World also shall be established that it shall not be moved He shall Judg the People Righteously and Govern the Nations upon Earth Now St. Paul speaking of Israel in Heb. 4.3 saith Altho their works were finished from the Foundation of the Word The question is whose works were these that were finished from the Foundation of the World To which I answer It was those whose Carcases fell in the Wilderness because of their unbelief that they murmured and would not Fight for that Kingdom which God had promised them they being then chosen for the Foundation of the World to come Therefore St. Paul saith to them in Heb. 3.9 When your Fathers tempted me proved me and saw my works forty years V. 10. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation and said they do always Err in their Heart and they have not known my ways V. 11. So I sware in my wrath they shall not enter into my rest Now how could the great God say he was grieved if he had determined their Destruction before the Material World was or do we think the Infinite God a deceiver like our Selves But the Apostle in the following verse le ts the then Church understand they stand upon no other terms than Israel then did Therefore he bids them in v. 13. Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the Deceitfulness of sin V. 14. For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end V. 15. Which is said to day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts as in the Povocation By which we see that our Promises are but conditional Promises as Israels was for he here speaks of himself and the Church in V. 14. Wherein he says we are made partakers of Christ with a proviso That they are not so in but that they may be cast out again And therefore in his following words he says if we hold the beginning of our Confidence stedfast to the end V. 16. For some when they had heard did provoke howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses V. 17 But with whom was he grieved forty years was it not with them that had sinned whose Carcases fell in the Wilderness V. 18. And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his Rest but to them that believe not V. 19. So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief Now we see they entred not in because of their unbelief And what was this unbelief It was in that they followed not the Lord fully They did believe that the Lord was the true God and that he had promised them a blessing but they were to ingage themselves into a War before they could obtain this blessing but the Enemy appeared too great for them to grapple with Now the Lord told them that they should overcome but they not willing to fight for the Blessing Their Carcases sell in the Wilderness underneath the Lord's displeasure So it is with us we believe there is a God and Christ and that he hath satisfied for sinners even for as many as come to God in and through his Name and this they say they believe and are well pleased with it But when they find it is only such a belief that will stand them in stead in which they must follow the Lord fully then they shrink at it and like it not for they no sooner so believe but they must immediately ingage in a War with the World the Flesh and the Devil And against their own Hearts Thoughts and inclinations Will and Affections or else the Promised Blessing is not to be had This sort of belief by no means they like not of and care not for it but it is so that if we will not wrestle for the blessing we must fall under the Condemnation of God which is Hell Fire And now in a more especial manner it behoves us to wrestle for the Blessing now we are at the brink of Eternal Happiness or misery for when the Lord comes which coming is just at hand and then we shall be judged according to his word which dreadful sentence to the wicked is Go ye cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels But as St. Paul saith Heb. 4.2.3 Let us therefore fear least a a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come shout of it V. 2. For unto us was the Gospel Preached as well as unto them but the word Preached did not profit them not being mixt with Faith in them that heard it V. 3. For we which have believed do enter into rest In this he speaks of that which is to come as though it were already done as he said As I have sworn in my wrath if they shall enter into my Rest although their works were finished from the foundation of the World As in Numb 14.28,29 Whereas the Lord saith unto them As truly as I live saith the Lord as ye have spoken in mine ears so will I do to you Your Carcasses shall fall in the Wilderness and all that were numbered of you according to your whole number from Twenty Years old and upwards which have murmured against me Doubtless ye shall not come into the land concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein save Caleo the Son of Jephunneh and Joshua the Son of Nun. But your little ones which ye said should be a prey them will I bring in and they shall know the Land which ye have dispised But you may say how could God be angry when he had
of Mercy when the door was open to them for the Mercy will then be distributed according to the Election of Grace which with the Believers is the Promised Elect which will be called in at his coming And whereas St. Paul saith Rom. 9.17,18 For the Scripture saith Vnto Pharaoh even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my Power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth Now as I before told you St. Paul hath here his reference to the time to come And the Scripture makes mention that as the Children of Israel was at first delivered by Signs and Wonders so will their deliverance again be with Signs and Wonders The which Signs and Wonders will be before the coming of the Lord who will be their great deliverer And therefore what God said to Moses I will here set down as touching the hardning of Pharaohs heart The which is in Exodus 4.21 Where God saith I will harden Pharaohs heart that he shall not let the People go Not that then God had hardned the heart of Phaaaoh but that it was then to do as from the Lord. For his Cruelty to the Children of Israel proceeded from his own wicked Nature being stirred up thereto by the Devil who is always an Enemy to the Children of God And in the fifth chap. it does appear that God would further prove Pharoah as touching his Cruelty to the Children of Israel before it is said he hardned his heart For in the fifth Chapter of Exodus ver 1,2,6,7,8,9,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharoah Thus saith the Lord God of Israel let my people go that they may hold a feast unto me in the Wilderness Verse 2. And Pharoah said who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go Verse 6. And Pharaoh commanded the same day the Taskmasters of the people and their Officers saying Verse 7. Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick as heretofore let them go and gather straw for themselves Verse 8. And the tale of the bricks which they did make heretofore you shall lay upon them you shall not diminish ought thereof for they be idle therefore they cry saying Let us go and sacrifice to our God Verse 9. Let there be more work laid upon the men that they may labour therein and let them not regard vain Words Verse 12. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the Land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw Verse 13. And the Taskmasters hasted them saying Fullfil your Works your daily Task as when there was straw Verse 14. And the Officers of the children of Israel which Pharaohs Taskmasters had set over them were beaten and demanded Wherefore have ye not fullfilled your Task both yesterday and to day as heretofore Verse 15. Then the Officers of the children of Israel came and cryed to Pharaoh saying Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy Servants Verse 16. There is no straw given to thy Servants and they say to us make brick and behold thy Servants are beaten but the fault is in thine own people Verse 17. But he said Ye are idle ye are idle therefere ye say let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord. Verse 18. Go therefore now and work for there shall no straw be given you yet shall you deliver the Tale if your Bricks This horrible Cruelty and inhuman Slavery was he stirred up to by his own evil Heart and the Devils and not by God For that which God did harden him in was in his unbelief by reason of his Cruelty therefore God hardened him in unbelief that he might accomplish his fierce Anger upon him which unbelief was That he regarded not the Miracles done by Moses And the Lord is not said to harden him till the 13th verse of the 7th chap. For in the 3d verse of the same chap. The Lord again repeateth the words and saith he will harden him by which we may plainly see that his hardning was not then by his blessed Majesty for in the 2d verse of the 7th chap. the Lord said unto Moses Thou shalt speak all that I command thee and Aaron thy Brother shall speak unto Pharoah that he send the Children of Israel out of his Land V. 3. And I will harden Pharoah's Heart and multiply my signs and my wonders in the Land of Egypt V. 4. But Pharoah shall not hearken unto you that I may lay my hand upon Egypt and bring forth mine Armies and my People the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt by great Judgments Now in the 10th v. Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh and they did as the Lord had commanded In shewing the signs and wonders that he had appointed them And Aaron cast down his Rod before Pharaoh and before his Servants and it became a Serpent V. 11. Then Pharaoh also called the wise Men and the Sorcerers Now the Magicians of Egypt they also did in like manner with their inchantments V. 12. For they cast down every man his Rod and they became Serpents but Aaron's Rod swallowed up their Rods. And then it is in the 13th v. And he hardened Pharaoh's Heart that he hearkned not unto them as the Lord had said V. 14. And the Lord said unto Moses Pharaoh's Heart is hardned he refuseth to let the People go Here is the first time wherein it is said that God hardned Pharaoh's Heart The which we may plainly see That as to what God hardned him in was in his unbelief that he should not believe the Miracles done by Moses and Aaron And also that God did suffer the Magicians to go so far was to carry on the Council of God in that they should be a means to help on the delusion of Pharoah That these Conjurations and Inchantments whereto he trusted should be a means to help forward the accomplishment of his destruction the which for his sin and cruelty was determined of God for him For when Man is wicked God chuseth his delusions by that which he is most prone unto As for Example When God would make good his wordby the Prophet Elijah 1 Kings 22.20,21,22 against Ahab for his Cruelty and Abominable Idolatry the Will of God was That he should be deluded to his Destruction by those Prophets in whom he trusted for they were the Men that perswaded him to go up to Ramoth Gilead to Battle where he was slain and the word of the Lord fulfilled on him Now as to what God said unto Moses concerning the utter Destruction of Pharaoh is in the 9th chap. begining at the 13th verse And the Lord said unto Moses rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say unto him thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews let my people go that
their eyes shall consume away in their holes and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth Of certain this is the Battle that is to be fought after Satan is loosed for it is after Christ appears upon Mount Olivet after the Mountain cleaved in the midst for a Receptacle for them that are saved whilst the Earth is renewing after the wicked are destroyed and after Jerusalem is again built After which it is said in the 11th verse There shall be no more utter destruction but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited because none shall make any attempt against them till after the Thousand Years After which Gog and Magog whom the Devil will gather together will come up against Jerusalem whom God will destroy as in the 38th Chapter of Ezekiel and in Rev. 20.9,10 and them that escape the Fire and Hail that comes from Heaven shall pine away as in Zachariah Now having fully proved how some became to be more estranged from God than other some the which was as St. Paul said of Israel that it hapned to them so may it be said of these that it hapned unto them first through the subtle Insinuations of the Devil to them and secondly by their own willful miscarriage when they were again restored to mercy by Christ and again renewed in him And in that Israel will have the preheminence it also was through the Faithfulness of Abraham in his service and in the patient waiting for his promise after the Lord had chosen him And also in that Abraham did offer up his Only Son Isaac for the doing of which the Lord did inlarge his promised blessing to Abraham which was That in him and his Seed all the Families of the Earth should be blessed Gen. 22.17 And had Israel walked in the steps of Abraham according to the Capacity God had put them in their Kingdom had never been destroyed Isa 48.18,19 Jer. 25.5 But God foreseeing they would be wanting to themselves in not keeping his Covenant therefore their destruction was foretold by the Prophets And also because David patiently waited upon the Lord till it was his time to bring him to the Kingdom bearing all his Afflictions till it was the Lord's time to bring him out of them And when he was on the Throne he persisted in his desire of Advancing the Glory of the Lord therefore God made that great Promise to him and his seed as in 2 Sam. 7.14 Now God likewise chose Jeroboam and Jehu to be Kings but they acting contrary to his Commands therefore they were Accursed of him And also they that suffer for God in well doing shall in time to come receive the greater Glory as those that have been most wicked shall receive the greater Punishment And whereas God saith Ezek. 33.13 When I shall say to the Righteous that he shall surely Live If he trust to his own Righteousness and commit Iniquity all his Righteousness shall not be remembred but for his iniquity that he hath committed he shall die for it Now God here saith when he shall say to the Righteous That he shall surely live yet if he upon the promise of God for Life and for his past Obedience does take a Liberty to do iniquity his past Righteousness shall not be remembred but for his iniquity he shall die And so is our Callings and Elections to Life and Salvation that are absolutely promised to us by God Yet if we are wanting to our selves they prove of no effect to us And the case stands so with the wicked For the Lord saith in the 14. v. Again when I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely die If he turn from his sin and do that which is Lawful and Right 15. v. If the wicked restore the Pledg give again that he hath robbed walk in Statutes of Life without committing iniquity he shall surely Live he shall not die That is without wilfully committing iniquity By this we also see that if God doth say to the wicked Thou shalt surely die Yet that threatning was not of force no longer than the Man remained sinful of which the Lord in Jer. 36.3 It may be that the House of Judah will hear all the Evil which I purpose to do unto them that they may return every man from his evil way that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin And also the Lord saith in Jer. 25. from the 3. to the 9. v. But as for those sinners who by their continued custom in sin God has left to hardness of Heart and blindness of mind they cannot come to amendment of Life And God saith in Ezek. 18.21 to the 31. v. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my Statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die 23. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked shall die saith the Lord God and not that he should return from his ways and live Now while the Lord calls to a sinner to Repentance there is power in the sinner to turn from his ways and to seek to God that he may live 25. v. Yet ye say the way of the Lord is not equal Here now O House of Israel is not my way equal are not your ways unequal 30. v. Therefore I will judg you O House of Israel every one according to his ways saith the Lord God repent and turn your selves from all your Transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruin 33. v. Cast away from you all your Trangressions whereby ye have Transgressed and make you a new Heart and a new Spirit for why will ye die O House of Israel 32. v. For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord wherefore turn your selves and live ye Now whilst God calls to a People to come to Repentance there is a door open to them for Mercy and then they are not left of God to hardness of Heart and blind ness of mind so as if they do but use their utmost diligence in indeavouring to forsake their sins and go to God by Prayer they shall not want his assistance Now whereas the Apostle saith Eph. 4.28 Let him that stole steal no more So for all other sins there remains a power in us to withstand and make resistance against till such time that through the often refusing obedience to his word and resisting the good motions of his Spirit God leaves them to hardness of Heart and blindness of Mind Now whilst the door of Mercy is open we may cast away all our Transgressions That is take up Resolutions against them and continually beg of God for his Assistance in our Performance And Cant. 1.4 cry out with the Church Lord draw me we will run after thee God hath left us a sure rule if we will take to the means therefore let us walk in the ways of God and keep to our constant duty in Praying and we shall never be
forsaken of him For the new Heart and the new Spirit which God requireth we should make us is that they should desire Holiness and Righteousness as they did heretofore sin and wickedness and also to use their utmost diligence for attaining unto an Holy Life desiring God's Assistance for he will never leave us nor forsake us if we so do for God withdraws not the good motions of his Spirit from any of his People till such time as they fall away from him And this new Heart and new Spirit in the Capacity he hath put us and by the means set before us we are able to make us by his promised assistance but this is not the new heart which he hath promised to give Isa 45.19 By which we may see it is our slothfulness and slugishness and also in our giving way to Temptations and to our own inclinations and affections whereby Satan for our want of bridling them hurries the Soul which way he pleaseth and so for want of watchfulness diligence and labour in the service of the Lord They lose the promised blessing which is Eternal Life and so come to have their Portion in Hell it self but if we are found in the ways of God as St. Paul tells us God doth not forget our Work and Labour of Love And twice in this foregoing Chapter of Ezekiel God saith I have no pleasure in the Death of him that dieth Now after the fall of Man the decree was that the entrances into life should be made strait so as those that will not wrestle for the blessing cannot have it And whereas St. Paul saith in Rom. 11.13 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all That is Israel also being sinful and therefore God left them to blindness of mind and so concluding them all in unbelief that is the greater part of them that they might taste the fruit of their own doings in the weight of his displeasure and that afterward he might make some of all sharers of his mercy And the Lord saith in Amos 3.6 Shall a Trumpet be blown in the City and the people not afraid Shall there be evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it This is spoken of the Evil of Punishment as all the Chapter makes appear For as man is the committer of the Evil of sin so God is the inflictor of the Evil of punishment And also the like is said in Isaiah 42.24 And St. Peter speaking of Christ saith in Acts 2.23,24 Him being delivered by the determined Counsel and fore-knowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain Whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of Death because it was not possible that he should be holden of it This being most certain that the Jews could have had no power to crucifie the Lord of Life had it not been done by the determined Counsel and Foreknowledge of God But by these words there is not one syllable from whence we may gather that this Counsel was before the material Heavens and Earth but rather the contrary in that he mentions them not And as to what St. Peter saith Acts 4.27,28 For of a truth against thy Holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together 28. For to do whatsoever thy Hand and thy Counsel determined before to be done Now God eclipsing the Glory of Christ and Christ taking upon him the Form of a Servant and he speaking against their Wicked Ways the which the Jews could not bear and thereupon Satan made them his Instruments to accomplish his Hellish Design by which he thought to have conquered the Lord of Life but he thereby wrought his own eternal perdition and thereby the determined Counfel of God was brought to pass in Satan's Overthrow and man's salvation Now whereas it is said by the Angel where he mentions the Beast and the Kings Rev. 17.17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will and to agree and give their Kingdom unto the Beast until the words of God shall be fullfilled Now we may say Wherefore was it the Will of God to put in the Hearts of these Kings to agree in giving their Power to the Beast until his Word should be fullfilled The Reason is this There was a Foreknowledge in God of their miscarriage And upon that foreknowledg of their miscarriage God did determine to leave them to delusion till such time his Words should be fullfilled according to which St. Paul saith 2 Thes 2.9,10 where he speaks of the Beast Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and Lying Wonders 10. v. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved We see this was so determined of God by reason God foreseeing they would have no delight in his Ways nor receive the Truth in the Love thereof Therefore they were given up by God to follow the delâ—sions of the Beast and the Devil Now whereas it is said in Acts 13.46,47,48 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judg your selves unworthy of everlasting life lo we turn to the Gentiles for so hath the Lord commanded us saying I have set thee to be a light to the Gentiles that thou shouldest be for Salvation unto the ends of the Earth And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal Life believed Now by the Ordaining here spoken of if we take it for granted that there was a certain number of the Gentiles as there was of the Jews so absolutely given to Christ as they should never fall away and that they were here so chosen at Antioch where St. Paul spake this for Antioch was an eminent place for Believers insomuch that they were first there called Christians Yet however this does no way prove that all believers are so Ordained to Everlasting Life so as they shall never finally fall away for by the word of God it is absolutely the contrary as I have here proved But as to the Ordaining here spoken of when explained according to the Tenor of the Gospel it does appear to be no such thing for the Believer upon his believing that Christ is the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 by which his Heart is drawn out in thankfulness love and obedience to Christ Gal. 5.6 for it is a Faith that worketh by Love is required the which the sinner no sooner so believeth but that all his past Sins are then forgiven him and the Righteousness of Christ imputed to him so as the Believer becomes compleat in him for God by
saith That they were then made the ofi-scouring of all things Now from among the scattered Church was God's special Elect which were so secured in Christ that they could not fall away and therefore in time to come will be a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation who were at that time but a scattered People Now whereas St. Paul saith 2 Tim. 2.11,12 It is a faithful saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him if we deny him he also will deny us That is Dead to all the â—inful pleasures and injoyments of this World In the 15. v. of the same Chapter he saith Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth Here the Apostle lets us understand the word is so joyn'd as there must be skill in the Dividing of it And the Apostle speaking of Hymeneus and Philetus saith in the 2. chap. and the 18. v. Who concerning the Truth have erred saying that the Resurrection is past already and overthrew the Faith of some 19. Nevertheless the Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from Iniquity Now in the 18. v. he saith That the Faith of some was overtheown and that by the false Brethren But in this verse he saith The foundation of God standeth sure The which foundation is those which are so absolutely given to Christ as they should not fall away Whilst the other Elect were but called renewed and put into a capacity of Obedience Now whereas he saith in the 20 verse But in a great House there are not only Vessels of Gold and of Silver but also wood and earth some to honour and some to dishonour if a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a Vessel unto honour Sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work That is the Gold and Silver are those that are more absolutely chosen of God but the wood and stone if they improve the benefits that God gives them and purge themselves from an evil Conversation they shall become meet for the Master's use shewing that there is a power in our selves to reform and amend till such time that by often resisting they exclude themselves from his mercy And by the words of Christ we may receive certain Confirmation of this by what he saith to the Church of Ephesus in Rev. 2.3,4,5 And hast born and hast patience and for my sake hast laboured and hast not fainted Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first Love Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent This shews that their Candlestick was in the right place but if they did not Repent and do their first works then Christ said he would remove their Candlestick out of his place And also the Lord saith to the Church of Sardis Rev. 3.1,2,3 I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and Repent If therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a Thief and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee Now this doth shew that one part of the Church was become dead through sin and so become forsaken of God and therefore left off to hardness of Heart and blindness of Mind but to the other part that was ready to die the Lord calls to them to come to Repentance whereby we may know that when we have had the knowledg of God and his ways and he hath not withdrawn the good motions of his Spirit from us There is a Power in us to come to Repentance and amendment of Life For God calls not the People to come to Repentance after they have no Power in their Hand to do it but then he saith let them alone Hos 4.17 When he will no farther shew mercy to them Now in this Church there was three sorts one part Dead another part ready to die and another part alive and well as it is said Rev. 3.4,5 Thou hast a few Names in Sardis which have not defiled their Garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white Raiment and I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life but I will confess his Name before my Father and before his Angels From which words it remains certain that some names are blotted out of the Book of Life And St. James saith James 4.8,9,10 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you cleanse your Hands ye sinners and purify your Hearts ye double minded Be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy into Heaviness Humble your selves in the Sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up And St. John saith Matt. 3.8 Bring forth therefore Fruits meet for repentance For we shall all be judged according to our works and God doth not require of us that which he hath not put us in a Capacity to do Rom. 2.12 And the Heathen that have not the Law shall not be judged by the Law As to what Moses saith in his Song That their Feet shall slide in due time hath a quite contrary meaning to what we have apprehended it the which is fully explained where I speak of the Covenant and Song As for the Promise made to David mentioned in Psal 99. is Answered where the special Election is Treated of Now all these Controversal Points being fully opened to the bottom whereby we may plainly see that the words of the Apostles had no such meaning as hitherto we have apprehended them to have and having the Oath and Word of God again and again to assure us the contrary And also Christ hath told us that whosoever comes to him he will in no wise cast out so that we need not fear to be forsaken of God if we do not forsake him and that God does not withdraw from the Soul on purpose to leave them to fall into Sin that he might Damn them but God does try all his to see if they will follow him and if they so do he is their exceeding great Reward Now if any would have greater assurance than the Words and Oath of God and the Word of Christ must look to have it in their last Punishment I bless the Eternal God by his opening his Word unto me he hath brought me out of that dangerous mistake the which did so take off from
they that Seek him shall find him if they search for him with the whole heart Christ saith VVhosoever will let him come And tho we can do nothing without Gods assistance for in him we live moâ—e have our being it is he that hath laid the Spiritual meat before us Hosea 11.4 whereby to guide our feet into the way of peace hath promised that whilst they 〈◊〉 the way he will be with them And the Prodigal that knew that he had wandered from his fathers House first lookt home before his father lookt on him and tho God may some times go out of his ordinary way of working and pluck as it were a brand out of the burning yet he no longer securely stands then he is found in his obedience for it is those that will fall under the condemnation that will not choose the fear of the Lord Prov 1.29 but for those that thro long continuance in sin have seared their Conscience whereby they become left of God to a stupid sense it is such cannot learn to do well no more then the Ethiopian can change his Skin c. but whilst we have a sense to see the evil inclinations which our natures are prone to we may continually pray Lord turn thou us and we shall be turned And if man does his endeavour God will never be wanting to such And if we resist the devil he will flee from us And if we draw nigh to God he will draw nigh to us James 4.7,8 But whereas the Lord saith No man can come to me except the Father draw him And the drawings of God are the tenders of his Grace with the good motions of his Spirit and checks of Conscience the which the old World and Israel had till they resisted for which they were condemned Gen. 6.3 Acts 7.51 And whereas the Lord saith Except a Man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven This was spoken to Nicodemus who had embraced this present World and therefore came to Jesus by Night as being ashamed to own him and such are to be born again or brought off from the World or they cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven as is more fully proved in the book where the Faith of Abraham is fully explained and also there in is made appear what is meant by the Wind blowing where it listeth and likewise therein is shewed Who they are that are not under the condemning power of the Law for their past sins Rom. 3.25 but under Grace that they are such as will and do walk in Newness of Life and if we will enter into Life we must keep the Commandments Mat. 19.17 For all are his servants to whom ye obey whether of sin unto death or of Obedience unto Righteousness Rom. 6 16. And whereas it is said It is not for the works of Righteousness that we have done but of his Mercy he saved 〈◊〉 This was spoken of the Elect who wâ—… then brought out of Idolatry and has no reference to us as is proved XXII Whereas the Apostle said Ye are saved by Grace not of works that is Man could not perform good works to that perfection as to become justified by them without the Merits of Christ and therefore saved by Grace but there is none that live in the performance of good works but shall be rewarded according to their works Rev. 22.12 The Eternal Life that is now in this time given the Believer excepting the very elect which is the standing witness is no otherwise given then it was to Adam and Eve in Paradise for had they never sinned they should never have dyed so the true Believer that believes salvation is to be had in the way of his obedience according to the word of the Lord he shall never be cast off but the Man that Departs from the Lord by wilful committing Iniquity he is no longer a Believer according to the Gospel as is proved XXIII Whereas the Lord said when he sent his Disciples forth to preach the Gospel to all the World He that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16.15,16,17 That is He that believeth the Doctrine that he sent them forth to Teach and the Mercy and Condemnation was to them that accordingly Believed or refused Believing the same as not to obey the truth Mat. 28.19,20 For the Lord speaks by the Law and Gospel but to them that hears it as proved But whereas Christ said He that Believeth not is condemned already This the Lord spake to the Jews who had heard him but believed not and therefore were condemned and thereby it also sheweth that more of Israel might have been saved had they been willing to take hold of the offered Mercy I here gather so many heads together that thro' the misinterpretation of the Scriptures Satan might not beguile so many of their Souls for if we take a text of Scripture as it stands alone without weighing how it is spoken and what the whole scope of the Scripture tends to we may raise as falce Doctrine as God is True O God who of thy great Mercy hath made thy word plain in those things we have been mistaken in give more of thy Assisting Grace for to improve the knowledge of the Truth These things which are here but hinted with the other disputable places and also the signs of the Times with the near approach of the coming of the Lord are now fully explained and proved in about four small Treatises The Books contain so many several heads that I have not here room to incert them but by them the word is so plain that none need any longer remain in mistakes that are willing to understand the Truth I shall only here mention the chief Title of each Book First The Explaination of the Faith of Abraham Price bound 10. d. bound up with the Christian Belief which has the Eexplanation of the Trinity Price 1 s. 2 d. The signs of the times and coming of the Lord bound up with the Prophesie of Moses that foretold the firing of the Mountains Price bound 10 d. all three bound up togather Price 1 s. 6 d. The book that Proveth there Worlds and three Foundations with the Tree of knowledge of good and evil Price bound 1 s. And are to be Sold at the places before mentioned in the Title The book of the Figurative Speeches is not yet out My aim is at the good of Souls and therefore that they that understand not the word may be convinced of the Truth I Refer my Books to the Lord Bishops who I believe are men of that integrity that will not oppose the Truth to whom I shall by Gods assistance give further satisfaction if required and when God had inlightned my understanding in his word I did dare do no other then leave and venture the little concern I had and come above a Hundred Miles to acquaint the Nation what God is a going about to do this being the little time that is given the Christianâ— to prepare God make this Nation a Light to Christian 〈◊〉 FINIS