the Sea and the Fountains of waters The Book which Iohn saw sealed with seven Seals which he mentions in the 5. Chap. he saw the Lamb open it in the 6. Chap. as you may read and so here there followeth another Angel saying Babylon is fallen is fallen that great City because she hath made all Nations drunk with the wine of her fornication as you may read Chap. 14. And in the 15. Chapter Iohn saw the seven Angels having the seven last plagues for in them is filled up the wrath of God and one of the four beasts gave unto the seven Angels seven golden Vials full of the wrath of God who liveth for ever and ever and in the 16. Chap. he saw the seven Angels go forth and they poured out their Vials as you may read and in the 17 Chap. there came one of the seven Angels which had the seven Vials and he said come up hither and I will shew thee the judgment of the great Whore So he carried me away saith Iohn in the Spirit into the wilderness here was the place where the true Church was persecuted here was the place where the Dragon cast out his flood after the true Church to destroy her And saith Iohn I saw a Woman sitting upon a Scarlet-coloured beast full of names of Blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns and the Angel shewed him the Mystery of the Beast and of his horns as you may read throughout that 17. Chap. and in the 18. Chap. he saw Babylon destroyed So here is comfort for all the true seed of Gods Elect for Iohn heard the voices of much people in Heaven saying Halelujah Salvation Glory and Honour and a voice came out of the Throne saying praise our God all ye that fear him small and great let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made her self ready and to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linnen white and clean for the fine linnen is the righteousness of the Saints and he said unto me write Blessed are they which are called to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb and he saith unto me these are the true sayings of God ver 9. as you may read throughout Chap. 19. And in the 20. Chap. Iohn saw the Angel come down from Heaven having the key of the Bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand and he laid hold on the Dragon and bound him a thousand years as you may read And Iohn saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in these Books and another Book was opened which is the Book of life and whosoever was not found written in the Book of life was cast into the Lake of fire ver 15. And in the 21. Chap. Iohn saw a new Heaven and a new Earth The Church coming forth of the wilderness here was no Dragon in this Heaven for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away and there was no more Sea where the Dragon lodgeth and hath his way Isa 27.1 And I Iohn saw the holy City new Ierusalem coming down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband here the Holy Spirit of the Lord God cloaths her seed that hath so long laid desolate as a nourishing mother which is free and gives liberty and sets at liberty all her free-born which are not Children of the Bond-woman but of the free and of this glorious City doth the Prophet Isaiah prophesie when he said Rejoyce O Barren that didst not bear and this is the City which the Apostle saith Ierusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all of all the free-born seed of the promise they are the Heirs but the Bond-woman and her Son are to be cast out of this holy City for he is not the Heir Gal. 4.30 And Iohn heard a great voice out of Heaven saying Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and he that sat upon the Throne said behold I make all things new that is according as the Apostle saith if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away behold I make all things new 2 Cor. 5.17 and he said unto me write for these words are true and faithful and he said unto me it is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely Here is the rich bounty of God And there came one of the seven Angels unto Iohn which had the seven vials of the seven last plagues and he said come hither and I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs wife and he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain he shewed me that great City the holy Ierusalem descending out of Heaven from God having the Glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most precious even like a Jasper stone clear as Chrystal This is the Stone the Builders have disallowed which now is become the Head of the Corner of this precious and holy building which is made up of living stones elect and precious and of a Royal Priesthood and of an holy Nation and the Walls of this City had twelve gates and at the gates twelve Angels and names written thereon which are the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel and the Walls of this City had twelve foundations and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb and the foundation of the City was garnished with twelve precious stones and the twelve gates were twelve Pearls every gate was of one Pearl he that understands reads and sees all these things And I Iohn saw no Temple in this City for the Lord God and the Lamb is the Temple of it And this City hath no need of the Sun or the Moon to shine in it for the Glory of the Lord doth enlighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof and the Nations of all them that are saved shall walk in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth that are saved shall bring their glory and honour to it and the gates of it are not at all shut by day yet there entereth not any thing that desileth Chap. 21.27 And in the 22. Chap. you may read how Iohn saw the pure River of water of life proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb and the tree of life which bears twelve manner of fruits and yields her fruits every month and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the Nations and he said these things are faithful and true and the Lord God of the holy Prophets sent his Angel to shew unto his
The Standard of the Lord REVEALED By which He hath led and guided and preserved his people since Adam to this day as is manifested through the Scriptures and is shewed forth in this following Abstract AS ALSO A clear manifestation by the Scriptures of the Recovering and Redeeming his Spiritual Seed and Body which is his Church out of thraldom and Captivity which day is begun Then he remembred the days of old Moses and his people saying where is he that brought them up out of the Sea with the Shepherds of his flock where is he that put his holy Spirit within them that led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm that led them through the deep as a Horse in the Wilderness that they should not stumble Isa 63.11 12 13. Neither said they where is the Lord that brought us up out of the Land of Egypt and led us through the Wilderness c. Jer. 2.6 But fear not thou O my servant Jacob and be not dismaied O Israel for behold I will save thee from the land of their Captivity and Jacob shall return and be in rest and at ease and none shall make them afraid Jer. 46.27 Isa 41.13.14 And I will bring again the Captivity of my people Israel and they shall build the waste Cities and inhabit them and they shall plant Vinyards and they shall drink of the Wine thereof and shall make Gardens and eat of the fruit thereof Amos 9.14 The Redeemer is come to Sion Jacob doth rejoice and Israel is glad Psal 53.6 Given forth at Lancaster Castle 11. month 1665 6 By M. F. a Prisoner of the Lord. Printed in the Year MDCLXVII The Epistle to the Reader Diligent Reader IF thou seriously consider that we are fallen into the last days and ages of the World in which the Lord of Heaven and Earth will come and plead with his Enemies and to recompence them according to their works Rev. 20.12 2 Cor. 5.10 Mat. 16.27 and that the terrible day of the Lord is coming with burns as an Oven and all his Enemies are before him as stubble and he will call all men high and low rich and poor to an account for their deeds done and reward every one according to their works whether they be good or whether they be bad The serious consideration of these things should put thee to a stand to search and to see how it stands between thee and the Lord. And if thou desires the knowledge of the living God and of his eternal Truth and desires to know the dealings of the Lord with his people and his seed here upon the earth since he made man and created him and gave him a being upon the earth look into this following Extract which is taken out of the Scriptures and thou mayst thereby see how the Lord hath led his seed and people from the beginning of the World until this present day As also his tender care and love that he hath exercised unto them all along as thou thy self will judge in the reading of this Treatise through which will be for thy own advantage and the building of thee up in the knowledge of the Lord and his Truth and also in the knowledge of the Scriptures which too many are and have been ignorant of and therefore have they dyed in their sins according as Christ saith if you do not believe that I am he ye shall dye in your sins Joh. 8.24 And none do believe that Jesus is Christ but who believes in his light and in his holy Spirit for that is the unction of the holy one the anointing which is the Christ which is the truth and is no lie and which leads into all truth which Christ Jesus promised he would send when he went to his Father in John 16. It is expedient for you saith he that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you howbeit when the Spirit of truth is come he shall guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself but he shall receive of mine and shew it unto you all things that the Father hath are mine therefore I said unto you he shall take of mine and shew it unto you thou mayst read of this at large in this Chapter So this is the very life of our knowledge of the truth to mind the light of the Lord Jesus Christ which is in thy heart and his Spirit that he hath put in thy inward parts and with that eye read this following Treatise in sobriety gentleness and meekness of Spirit without partiality or prejudice and thereby thou mayst gain knowledge and understanding into the truth of God and also into the Scriptures which it may be thou didst not know before Thou mayst also read in this following Book of the Redemption and bringing back of the Captivity of the Church of Christ whose day of redemption and deliverance comes as is shewed therein by the Scriptures and so as I said before being the time is short and the Lord cometh as a thief in the night â—nd the servant knoweth not at what hour his Lord cometh Therefore Christ saith it is good for you to be ready for in such an hour as you think not of the Son of man cometh blessed is the Servant whom the Lord when he cometh findeth watching watch therefore for you know not at what hour the Lord cometh Mat. 24. so in this time and day all people had need to be found watching lest they say peace when sudden destruction cometh upon them So in love to the Souls of all people upon the whole earth is this written and that it might be of advantage to all people is the end of the writing of this following book And the Lord that hath opened and moved by the power of his holy Spirit in writing of it make it also effectual and of use and service for the salvation of the Souls of all the Readers of it M. F. Genesis IN the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Joh. 1. This is the testimony and the record of John the beloved Disciple that leaned on Jesus breast this agreeing with the first of Genesis In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and the earth was void and without form and darkness was upon the face of the deep and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters and God said let there be light and there was light 1 Joh. 5.7 So here is the record which is in heaven God the Spirit and the Word that was in the beginning with God by which all things were made and created the Heavens and the Earth the Sea and the firmament and all things that are therein and every living creature
seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head mark that the womans seed shall bruise the Serpents head the Lord hath said it and thou shall bruise his heel Gen. 3.15 and this hath been and is fulfilled the heel of the precious seed hath been bruised ever since the day that Adam fell the Lamb hath been flain from the foundation of the world Rev. 13.8 The descending part of the Lamb hath been bruised and slain since the world had a foundation in the heart of man for the Devil got into Evahs heart and Adams heart by his temptation when they obeyed the voice of the Serpent and disobeyed his voice that made them he told them they should be as Gods but he became the God of that world of sin and of transgression and this world is set in the hearts of all men in the fall that they cannot find the beginning or the end of the work of God Eccl. 3.11 And the God of this world hath blinded the minds of all them which believe not 2 Cor. 4.4 through the disobedience that did enter into their hearts and so their foolish hearts were darkened and he the Prince of darkness hath ruled ever since this world had a foundation in the heart of man and to this very day doth rule in the children of disobedience Eph. 2.5 6. And so that precious part of the Lamb that descending part that God hath placed in mans heart hath been and is slain in all the children of disobedience who are not risen with Christ unto righteousness and true holiness Now he that ascended saith the Apostle is the same that descended first into the nethermost parts of the earth and he that descended is the same also that ascended far above all heavens that he might sill all things Eph. 4.8.9 So there hath he suffered and been oppressed as a Cart hath been with sheaves and born the iniquities of all above 5600 years But the Lord of his infinite mercy and love reserved a remedy and redemption at that very instant who decreed and said that the precious seed of the woman should bruise the Serpents head and break his power And so as it is already manifested and fulfilled the Word which the Lord spake that he should bruise his heel so as certainly and assuredly as the word of the Lord endureth for ever and that not one jot or tittle of it shall fail till all be fulfill'd so certainly will he fulfill this part also that the seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head and break his power and to this purpose hath he redoubled his promise again and again as we shall shew more fully hereafter And so Adam and Eve stood under the sentence that the Lord pronounced upon them unto woman that he would greatly multiply her sorrow in her conception and in bringing forth Children And unto Adam he said cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all thy days so in this miserable state they continued and in this darkness transgression and disobedience Adam knew his Wife and she brought forth a Son and called his name Cain and Adam called his wife Eve because she was the mother of all living and this Cain was the fruits of the Spirit of the Devil who was a lyar and a murderer And again she bare his brother Abel and Cain was a tiller of the ground but Abel was a keeper of Sheep and in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord and Abel he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof and the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering for the Apostle saith Heb. 11.4 by faith Abel offered unto God but unto Cain and his offering he had no respect And Cain was wroth and his countenance fell and the Lord said unto Cain why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance fallen if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted if thou dost not well sin lyeth at thy door And unto thee shall be his desire and thou shalt rule over him Gen. 4.7 But the Apostle saith that Abel offered a more excellent offering than Cain by which he obtained a witness that he was righteous God testifying of his guifts and by faith he being dead yet his bloud speaketh Heb. 11.4 and also Cain manifested what seed he sprang from unto which God said I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed which seed was a lyar and a murderer from the beginning and Cain talked with his brother and it came to pass that when they were in the field that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him and wherefore slew he him because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous 1 Joh. 3.12 And this Cains Spirit hath remained amongst men to this very day for he slew his brother about offering unto God and the worship of God and so this Cains spirit hath been slaying and killing and persecuting ever since about Offerings and Sacrifices and Worships righteous Abel and that spirit which God accepts hath been persecuted and slain and is to this day But God will fulfill the words of Christ upon them Mat. 23.35 that upon you might come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of rightous Abel but the Lord knew when Abel was slain and he knows and sees and hath seen all the righteous blood that hath been shed since Abel and the Lord said unto Cain what hast thou done the voice of thy brothers blood hath cryed to me from the ground and now thou art cursed from the earth which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brothets blood from thy hand Gen. 4.10 11. And under this curse all Cains spirit and off spring remains a fugitive and vagabond from the Lord for Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the Land of Nod. ver 16. And Adam knew Eve his Wife again and she bare a Son and called his name Seth for God saith she hath appointed me another Son instead of Ahel whom Cain slew So here is another Son brought forth of Abel's seed which the Lord accepted and to which the promise of the Lord remained and to Seth to him also there was born a Son and he called his name Enos then began men to call upon the name of the Lord here was the right seed again which set up the worship of God as you may read in the fifth of Genesis the Generations of them that worshipped God in that day from Adam some of which the Apostle bore witness of in Heb. 11.5 By Faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death Enoch translated and was not found because God had translated him for before his translating he had this testimony that he pleased God By faith Nâ—ah being warned of God of things not seen as yet
Go forth of the Ark thou and thy Wife and thy Sons and thy Sons Wives with thee and bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee c. and Noah went forth and every living thing that was with him after his kind went forth out of the Ark. And Noah builded an Altar unto the Lord and took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl and offered burnt-offerings on the Altar and the Lord smelled a sweet savour and the Lord said in his heart I will not again curse the earth any more for mans sake for the imaginations of his heart are evil from his youth neither will I again smite any more every thing living as I have done while the earth remaineth seed time and harvest cold and heat Summer and Winter day and night shall not cease Gen. 8.20 21 22. And God blessed Noah and his Sons and said unto them be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and the fear of them and the dread of them shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every fowl of the air the power of all living the living creatures the Lord delivered into the hands of Noah and his Sons and the Lord said every thing that liveth shall be meat for you even as the green Herb I have given you all things but flesh with the life thereof which is the blood thereof you shall not eat And surely your blood of your lives will I require at the hand of every beast will I require it and at the hand of man and at the hand of every mans brother will I require the life of man Gen. 9.4 5. So here the Lord warned them before hand not to kill one another as Cain had done his brother no nor the beasts to kill them who so shedeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God made he man ver 10. And to Noah and to his Sons he said be fruitful and multiply and bring forth abundance in the earth and multiply therein and behold I will establish my Covenant with you and with your seed after you neither shall all flesh be cut off any more neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth and God said this is a token of the Covenant that I will make between me and you I do set my Bow in the Cloud and it shall be seen in the Cloud and I will remember my Covenant and I will look upon it that I may remember the everlasting Covenant between me and every living Creature of all flesh upon the earth And the Sons of Noah that went forth of the Ark were Shem Ham and Japhet Ham is the Father of Canaan these are the three Sons of Noah and of them was the whole earth spread And Noah began to be a Husbandman and he planted a Vinyard and drank of the Wine and was drunk and he was uncovered within his Tent and Ham the Father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his Father and told his two Brethren without and Shem and Japhet took a Garment and laid it upon both their Shoulders and went backward and covered the nakedness of their Father and their Faces were backward and they saw not their Fathers nakedness ver 23. So this cursed Ham he could look upon his Fathers nakedness and lay it open to his Brethren but his Brethren covered his nakedness and could not look upon him And Noah when he awoke from his Wine he knew what his younger Son Ham had done unto him and he said cursed be Canaan a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren and he said blessed be the Lord God of Shem and Canaan shall be his servant and God shall enlarge Japhet and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem and Canaan shall be his servant Here Noah had the inspiration of the Almighty and was a true Prophet concerning his three Sons and they which he blessed is blest and he whom he cursed is curstâ— and according to his Prophesie the Lord hath enlarged Japhet for of Japhet's stock is the Isles of the Gentiles as you may read Chap. 10. ver 5. And of Shem's stock came Abraham the Father of all the faithful to which the promise of the Lord is and Christ Jesus the seed of the promise is not only given a Covenant unto Abraham and his seed the Jews but he is also given a light to the Gentiles that he may be Gods salvation to the ends of the earth And so here is Noah's Prophesle fulfill'd upon Shem and Japhet that as they joined together in covering their Father's nakedness so Christ Jesus the everlasting Covenant hath joined them together in one and will be their salvation to the ends of the earth and so Japhet dwells in the Tents of Shem in God's Covenant of light And so Haâ—'s stock is of the cursed seed he begat Cush and Cush begat Nimrod and he was a mighty hunter and a great man in the earth and the beginning of his Kingdom was Babel in the Land of Shinar as ye may read in Gen. 10. The whole earth at that time was of one Language and this Nimrod began to build a City in the plain of Shinar and this Ham's stock and Nimrod's stock they would go make brick and they would go build a City and a Tower whose top may reach to Heaven lest we be scattered upon the face of the earth say they and the Lord God came down to see the City which the Children of men builded and the Lord said let us go down and confound their language that they may not understand one anothers speech so the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of the earth and they left off to build the City therefore is the name of it called Babel because that there the Lord did confound the Language of all the earth and the cause of this was the pride of cursed Ham's stock and Nimrod that would be so great that he would build a Tower to Heaven that he might not be scattered but his Kingdom is Babel and from thence they were all sâ—attered and this was the beginning of many Languages even a curse from God upon Ham's stock for before the earth was all of one Language for Ham's stock is of the cursed seed and for their sakes the Language was confounded and they scattered over the earth Now the Generations of Shem you may read of in Gen. 11.10 to the end And Terah lived 70 years and begat Abram Nahor and Haran ver 26. and Haran begat Lot and Haran died before his Father Terah in the Land of his Nativity Hor of the Caldees and Abram and Nahor took them Wives the name of Abram's Wife was Sarai and the name of Nahor's Wife was Milcah and Terah took Ahram his Son and Lot the Son of Haran his Son's Son and Sarai his daughter-in-law his Son Abram's Wife and they went forth with him into Vz of the
for it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judab it is also evident that after the Order of Melchisedec there ariseth another Priest who is made not after the Law of a carnal commandment but after the power of an endless life for being that the Priesthood is changed there must of necessity be a change of the Law Heb. 7. for he testifieth thou art a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedec which Order is not of a carnal commandment neither is this Priest a mortal man subject to fall and infirmities More might be said concerning this Melchisedec which met Abraham and blessed him but the Apostle is very laâ—ge in the demonstration of him for he saith Heb. 5.11 that he had many things to say of him hard to be uttered because they were dull of hearing After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a Vision saying Fear not Abram I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward and Abram said Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go childless and one that is born in mine house must be mine heir the Lord said this shall not be thine heir but one that comes out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir and the Lord said look up towards Heaven and tell the Stars if thou beest able to number them and he said so shall thy seed be and Abram believed and it was accounted to him for righteousness And when Abram was 99 years old the Lord appeared unto him and said walk before me and be thou perfect and my Covenant shall be with thee and thou shalt be the Father of many Nations and thy name shall be called no more Abram but Abraham shall be thy name a Father of many Nations have I made thee and as for Sarai thy Wife thou shalt not call her name Sarai but Sarah shall her name be and I will bless her and she shall be the Mother of Nations then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed and said in his heart shall a child be born unto him that is 100 years old and shall Sarah that is ninety years old bear and Abraham said unto God Oh that Ishmael might live before the Lord and God said Sarah thy Wife shall bear thee a Son indeed and thou shalt call his name Isaac and I will establish my Covenant with him for an everlasting Covenant and with his seed after him and as for Ishmael I have heard thee behold I have blest him but my Covenant will I establish with Isaac which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year And according to this the Lod sent his Angels unto Abraham and Sarah to confirm unto them that at the time appointed she should bring forth a child and the Lord said unto Abraham wherefore did Sarah laugh saying shall I have a child is any thing too hard for the Lord at the time appointed will I return unto thee according to the time of life and Sarah shall have a Son so at the same time the Lord discovered unto Abraham what he intended against Sodom And the men turned their faces towards Sodom and Abraham set them on their way and the Lord said shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I do seeing that Abraham shall be surely great and a mighty Nation and all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed in him for I know that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord and do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him And the Lord said because of the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sins are very grievous I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know and the men turned their faces from thence and went towards Sodom but Abraham stood before the Lord and drew near and prayed unto the Lord for the righteous in Sodom and the Lord heard him as you may read Gen. 18. And so the two Angels came into Lot's house and Lot received them kindly and so he and all his house were preserved the men said unto Lot hast thou any here besides thy Son-in-law and thy Sons and thy Daughters and whatever thou hast in the City bring it out for we will destroy this place because that the cry of it is waxen great before the Lord and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it So the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire out of Heaven from the Lord but just Lot was preserved in the little City called Zoar and was permitted to escape thither that his Soul might live he his Sons and his Daughters and all the Cities round about were destroyed all the Cities of the plain And God remembred Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow where Lot dwelt in the plain And Abraham got up early in the morning and he looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and the smoke of the Country rose up as the smoke of a Furnace Gen. 19.28 And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said for Sarah conceived and bare Abraham a Son in his old age and Abraham called the name of his Son that was born unto him Isaac and he circumcised him the eight day as God had commanded him and Abraham was a hundred years old when his Son Isaac was born And it came to pass after these things that God called Abrabam and said unto him take now â—hy Son thine only Son whom thou lovest and get thee into the Land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of And Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his Ass and took two of the young men with him and Isaac his Son and clave the wood for a burnt-offeâ—â—g then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off and Abraham said unto the young men abide you here with the Asses and I and the Lad will go yonder and worship and come again unto you And Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering and laid it upon Isaac his Son and he took fire in his hand and a knife and they went both of them together And Isaac spake unto Abraham his Father and said my Father and he said here am I my Son and he said here is the fire and the wood but where is the Lamb for a burnt-offering and he answered my Son the Lord will provide one So they went both of them together and they came to the place which God had told him of and Abraham built an Altar and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his Son and laid him upon the wood and Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his Son and the Angel of the Lord called
unto him out of Heaven and said Abraham Abraham and he said here am I and he said lay not thine hand upon the Lad neither do thou any thing unto him for now I know thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy Son thine only Son from me and Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and behold behind him a Ram caught in a thicket by his horns and Abraham went and took the Ram and offered him up for a burnt-offering instead of his Son and Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh as it is to this day in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen And the Angel of the Lord called unto Abraham the second time and said by my self I have sworn saith the Lord because thou hast done this thing and hast not with-held thy Son thine only Son that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the Stars of Heaven and as the sand upon the Sea shore and thy seed shall possess the Gates of thine enemies and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice Heb. 6.23 34 So Abraham and his Son returned unto his young men and they rose up and went to Beershebu together where Abraham dwelt And Sarah being 127 years old she died in Kiriath-arba the same is Hebron in the Land of Canaan and Abraham mourned for Sarah and wept for her and Abraham bought a burying place of the Sons of Heth to bury his dead in out of his sight Gen. 23. So when Abraham grew old and stricken in age he caused his eldest servant of his House to put his hand under his thigh and made him swear by the God of Heaven and the God of the earth and said thou shalt not take a Wife unto my Son of the Canaanites amongst whom I dwell but thou shalt go into my Country and unto my kindred and take a Wife unto my Son Isaac and the servant said peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me and Abraham said the Lord God of Heaven which took me from my Fathers house and from the Land of my kindred and which spake unto me and sware unto me saying unto thy seed will If give this Land he shall send his Angel before thee and thou shalt take a Wife for my Son from thence and if the woman will not be willing to follow thee then thou shalt be clear from this mine Oath And the Servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his Master and sware to him concerning the matter So the Servant believed in Abraham's words and made ready for his journey and took with him Camels and Goods of his Masters and set forward on his journey to Mesopotamia and at a well before he came to the City he met with Rebekah Bethuâ—l's daughter whose Mother's name was Milcah the Wife of Nahor Abraham's Brother and shelentreated him kindly and carried him home to her Fathers house and her Father and Mother and brother Laban received him kindly into their house and said unto him thou blessed of the Lord come in and they set meat before him and the servant declared unto him whose servant he was and how his Master had sent him and declared what his message was unto them as the whole passage you may read in Gen. 24. Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said the thing proceedeth from the Lord we cannot speak unto thee good or bad behold Rebekah is before thee take her and go and let her be thy Master's Son's Wife as the Lord hath spoken at which words the Servant worshipped the Lord and bowed himself to the earth and the servant brought forth Jewels of Silver and Gold and gave them to Rebekah and gave precious things to her Mother and Brother and when they had eat and drunk they set forwards towards his Master and as they were returning home Isaac met them by the way and she said unto the servant what man is this and he said it is my Master therefore she took a vail and covered her self and the servant told Isaac all that he had done and Isaac brought her into his Mother Sarah's Tent and took Rebekah and she became his Wife and he loved her and Isaac was comforted after his Motherâ— death These are the Generations of Isaac Abraham's Son Abraham begat Isaac and Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah to Wife the Daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-Aram the Sister to Laban the Syrian and Isaac entreated the Lord for his Wife because she was barren and the Lord was entreated of him and Rebekah his Wife conceived and the children struggled within her and she said why am I thus and she went to enquire of the Lord and the Lord said unto her two Nations are in thy Womb and two manner of People shall be separated from thy Bowels the one people shall be stronger than the other and the elder shall serve the younger And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled behold there were twins in her Womb and the first came out red all over like an hairy Garment and they called his name Esau and after that came his brother out and his hand took hold of Esau's heel and his name was called Jacob Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them Here was the two Nations and the two seeds comprehended and brought forth of one Womb the Lord foreknowing and foreseeing this thing as he spoke unto Rebekah as the Apostle testifies that when the Children were yet in the Womb unborn having done neither good nor evil that the purpose of God according to the election might stand not of works but of him that calleth it was said unto her the elder shall serve the younger as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Rom. 9.11 12 13. of this Esau's stock came the Edomites of which we shall say more hereafter But the word of the Lord by his Prophet Malachi I have loved you saith the Lord yet ye say wherein hast thou loved us was not Esau saith the Lord Jacob's Brother yet I loved Iacob and I hated Esau and laid his mountains and his herritage waste for the Dragons of the Wilderness Mal. 1.2 3. And again Hos 12. Ephraim feedeth on wind he daily increaseth in lies and they do make a Covenant with the Assyrians and carrieth Oyl into Egypt and not only the stock of Esau but also Jacob and Iudah had grieved the Lord at this time this Prophesie was after Iudah and Israel had sinned against the Lord and commited abominations as you may read in the 2 Kings 25. and Hos 12.2 The Lord hath also a controversie with Iudah and will punish Iacob according to his waies according to his doings will be recompense him he took his brother by the heel in the Womb and by his strength he had power with God he had power over the Angel he wept and
made supplication unto him and prevailed he sound him in Bethel even the Lord the God of Hosts the Lord his memorial ver 5 Esau was a cunning hunter and Iacob was a plain man dwelling in Tents and Isaac loved Esau but Rebekah loved Iacob And Iacob sod pottage and Esau came from the field and he was faint and Esau said to Iacob feed me I pray thee with that same red pottage for I am faint therefore was his name called Edom and Iacob said sell me this day thy birthright and Esau said I am at the point to die and what shall this birthright do to me And he sware to him and he sold his birthright unto Iacob then Iacob gave Esau bread and pottage of Lentals and he did eat and drink and rose up and went his way thus Esau despised his Birth-right Gen. 25 26. to the end according to that of the Apostle Heb. 12.16 17. who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right And there was a Famine in the Land and Isaac went unto Abimelech King of the Philistines and the Lord appeared unto him and said go not down into Egypt dwell in the Land which I shall tell thee of so journ in this Land and I will be with thee and I will bless thee for unto thee and unto thy seed I will give all these Countries and I will perform the Oath which I sware unto thy Father Abraham and I will make thy seed to multiply as the Stars of Heaven and will give unto thee all these Countries and in thy seed shall all the Nations be blessed because that Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge my Commandments my Statutes and my Laws so Isaac dwelt in Gerar and sowed in that Land and received in that year one hundred fold for the Lord blessed him And it came to pass when Isaac was old and his eyes were dim he called Esau his eldest Son and he said behold I am old and know not the day of my death therefore take thy Bow and thy weapons and go to the field to take me some Venison and make me savoury meat such as I love that my soul may bless thee before I die and Rebekah heard what Isaac spake unto Esau and when Esau was gone into the field to hunt Rebekah spake unto Jacob her Son saying I heard thy Father speak unto Esau thy Brother saying bring me Venison and make me savoury meat that I may eat and bless thee before the Lord before my death now therefore my Son obey my voice do that I command thee go to the flock fetch me two good Kids of the Goats and I will make thee savoury meat for thy Father such as he loveth and thou shalt bring it to thy Father that he may eat and that he may bless thee before his death and Jacob said to Rebekah his Mother my brother is an hairy man and I am a smooth man and my Father peradventure will feel me and I shall seem to him to be a deceiver and I shall bring a curse upon me and not a blessing And his Mother said unto him upon me be thy curse my Son only obey my voice and go fetch them and he went and fetched them and brought them to his Mother and she made savoury meat such as his Father loved and Rebekah took raiment of her eldest Son Esau's and put them upon Jacob and she put the skins of the Kids upon his hands and upon the smooth of his neck and she gave the savoury meat and the bread that she had prepared into the hand of her Son Jacob and he came unto his Father and said my Father and he said here am I who arâ— thou my Son and Iacob said unto his Father I am Esau thy first-born I have done according as thou badest me arise and eat of my Venison that thy soul may bless me and Isaac saidunto him how is it that thou hast found it so quickly my Son and he said because the Lord thy God brought it to me and Isaac said unto Iacob come near that I may feel thee whether thou be my very Son Esau or not and Iacob went near unto Isaac and he felt him and said the voice is Iacob's but the hands are the hands of Esau and he discerned him not because his hands were hairy as Esau's were so he blessed him and he said unto him art thou my very Son Esau and he said I am and he said bring it neer unto me that I may eat of my Sons Venison that my Soul may bless thee and Isaac said come near my Son and kiss me and he came near and kissed him and he smelled of his Raiment and blessed him and he said I give thee of the dew of Heaven and the fatness of the earth and plenty of Corn and Wine let all people serve thee and Nations bow down to thee be Lord over thy Brethren let thy Mothers Sons bow down unto thee cursed be every one that curseth thee and blessed be he that blesseth thee And as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Iacob Esau came from his hunting and brought his Venison and made savoury meat for his Father and said let my Father arise and eat of his Sons Venison that thy Soul may bless me and Isaac said unto him who art thou he said I am thy first-born Esau and Isaac trembled very exceedingly and he said where is he that hath brought me Venison and I have eaten before thou camest and I have blessed him yea and he shall be blessed and when Esau heard the words of his Father he cryed with an exceeding bitter cry and said bless me even me also my Father 〈◊〉 he said thy brother came with subtlety and hath taken away â—â—y blessing and he said is he not rightly named Iacob for he hath supplanted me this two times he took away my birth-right and now behold he hath taken away my blessing Here is a Parable and a mystery concerning these passages for if Isaac had blessed Esau he had blessed the wrong birth for God calls himself by the name of the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob this is my name and my memorial for ever saith the Lord Exod. 3.15 And Christ Jesus saith that he is the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob Mat. 22.32 Certainly Iacob was the right seed which the blessing of the Lord was to for Cain was the first birth but he was the wrong seed And so Esau was the first birth but not the seed of the Promise which the blessing was to though Isaac loved Esau if he had given him the blessing it had not been so well but the Lord ordered it otherwise the Apostle saith by faith Isaac blessed Iacob and the very name of Iacob signifieth a Supplanter and so he was to supplant his Brother and root him out for Cain the elder Brother slew his Brother Abel but the Lord hath given
Jacob the second birth power over his Brother Esau to supplant him and to receive the blessing See what the Apostle saith Heb. 12.16 lest there be any Fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsel of bread sold his birthright for ye know how that afterward when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected for he found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with tears So it is not tears that come from the wrong nature and birth that will prevail with God for his promise is to the right seed and but to one seed c. And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his Father blessed him and Esau said in his heart the days of mourning for my Father are at hand and then will I slay my Brother Jacob here Esau manifested the same nature as was in Cain but thaâ— the Lord prevented him for the Lord searched out the hidden things of Esau and frustrated his intention for thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee and thou shalt be cut off for ever Obad. 10. Esau's words were told to Rebekah that he intended to slay his Brother and she called her Son Jacob and said thy Brother Esau comforts himself purposing to kill thee Now therefore my Son obey my voice and arise and flye to Laban my Brother and tarry with him a few days until thy brothers fury be turned a way and I will send and fetch thee why should I be deprived of you both in one day And Rebekah said unto Isaac I am weary of my life because of the Daughters of Heâ—h if Jacob take a Wife of such as these who are the daughters of this Land what good shall my life do me And Isaac called Iacob and blessed him and charged him and said unto him thou shalt not take a Wife of the Daughters of Canaan for all the inhabitants of the Land of Canaan were of Ham's stock which were of the cursed seed so this blessed seed of Abraham was not to mingle with them Therefore Isaac said arise and go to the house of Bethuel thy mothers Father and take thee a Wife from thence of the Daughters of Laban thy Mothers brother and God Almighty bless thee and multiply thee and make thee fruitful that thou mayst be a multitude of people and give the blessing of Abraham to thee and to thy seed with thee that thou mayst inherit the Land which God gave unto Abraham and Isaac sent Jacob away And when Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Iacob and sent him away to Padan-Aram and as he blessed him he charged him that he should not take a Wife of the Daughters of Canaan and Esau seeing that the Daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his Father then went Esau unto Ishmael and took a Wife But Iacob obeyed his Fathers command and travelled on his way and lay down in the night and slept and laid stones for his pillows and he dreamed and behold a Ladder was set on the earth and the top reached to Heaven and the Angels of God ascended and descended on it and the Lord stood above it and said I am the Lord God of Abraham thy Father and the God of Isaac the Land whereon thou lyest to thee will I give it and to thy seed and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth and thou shalt spread abroad to the West and to the East and to the North and to the South and in thee and in thy seed shall all the Families of the earth be blessed And behold I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken And Iacob awaked out of his sleep and said surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not and he was afraid and said O how dreadful is this place this is the house of God and the Gate of Heaven and Iacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillow and set it up for a Pillar and poured Oyl on the top of it and called the name of that place Bethel and Iacob vowed a vow saying if God will be with me and keep me in this way that I go so that I come again to my Fathers house in peace then shall the Lord be my God Then Iacob went on his journey into the Land of the East and at the Well he met with men of the place whither he was going which were come to water their Flocks and he said unto them my brethren whence be ye and they said of Haran we are And he said unto them know ye Laban the Son of Nahor and they said we know him and he said is he well and they said he is well and behold Rachel his Daughter cometh with the sheep when Jacob saw Rachel the Daughter of Laban his Mothers Brother and Laban's Sheep he went near and rouled the Stone from the Wells mouth and watered the flock of Laban and Iacob kissed Rachel and lift up his voice and wept And Iacub told Rachel that he was Rebekah's Son and she ran and told her Father when Laban heard the tidings of Iacob his Sisters Son he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his House and he told Laban all these things and Laban said surely thou art my bone and my flesh and he abode with him the space of a month and Laban said unto Iacob because thou art my brother shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought tell me what thy Wages shall be and Laban had two Daughters the name of the elder was Leah and the name of the younger was Rachel Leah was tender-ey'd but Rachel was beautiful and well-favour'd and Iacob loved Rachel and said I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger Daughter and Laban said it is better that I give her unto thee than I should give her unto another man And Iacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed unto him but a few days for the love he had to Rachel and Iacob said unto Laban give me my Wife for my days are fulfilled that I may go in unto her And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a Feast and it came to pass in the evening that he took Leah his Daughter and brought her to him and he went in unto her and in the morning behold it was Leah And he said to Laban what is this that thou hast done unto me did not I serve thee for Rachel wherefore hast thou beguiled me and Laban said it must not be so done in our Country to give the younger before the first-born fulfill her week and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet other seven years and Iacob did so and fulfilled her week and he gave him Rachel his daughter to Wife also And Laban gave
the worst and fled every man before Israel and the King of Israel took all the Gold and Silver and all the Vessels that were found in the House of the Lord and Jehoash King of Israel slept with his Fathers and Iereboam his Son reigned in his stead And Amaziah King of Judah lived after his death fifteen years and they made a conspiration against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish but they sent after him and slew him there and all the people of Judah took Azaziah and made him King instead of Amaziah his Father In the twenty seventh year of the reign of Jeroboam King of Israel began Azaziah alias Vzziah Son of Amaziah King of Judah to reign sixteen years old was he when he began to reign and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem and did that which was right in the sight of the Lord Chap. 15. but the high places were not removed but the people sacrificed and burnt Incense still thereon and the Lord smote Amaziah King of Judah that he was a Leper to the day of his death In the thirty eighth year of Azaziah King of Judah did Zachariah Son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat that made Israel to sin and Shallum the Son of Jabesh conspired against him and smote him and slew him and reigned in his stead This was the word of the Lord that he spoke unto Jehu saying thy Sons shall sit on the Throne of Israel to the fourth Generation and so it came to pass And Shallum the Son of Jabesh began to reign in the 39. year of Vzziah King of Judah and he reigned but one month in Samaria and Menahem the Son of Gadi went up to Samaria and slew him and reigned in his stead and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord 2 Kings 15. And in the thirty ninth year of Azaziah King of Judah began Menahem the Son of Gadi to reign and he reigned ten years in Samaria he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and slept with his Fathers and Pekahiah his Son reigned in his stead in Samaria two years and he did evil in the sight of the Lord like Jeroboam the Son of Nebat that made Israel to sin but Pekah the Son of Remaliah a Captain of his conspired against him and killed him and reigned in his stead And in the fiftieth year of Azaziah King of Judah Pekah the Son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria and reigned twenty years he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord and departed not from the sins of Jeroboam In his days came the King of Syria and took Jion and Abel-beth-maachah and Janoah and Kedish and Hazor and Gilead and Galilee and all the Land of Naphtali and carried them captive to Syria and Hoshea Son of Elah made a Conspiracy against Peâ—ah the Son of Remaliah and smote him and slew him and reigned in his stead in the days of these Kings the Prophet Isaiah and the Prophet Hosea prophesied as you may read in Isa 1.6.7 Chap. and Hos 1. In the second year of Pekah the Son of Remaliah King of Israel began Jotham the Son of Vzziah King of Judah to reign 2 Chron. 27.1 and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but the high places were not taken aways in those days did the Lord begin to send against Iudah Rezin King of Assyria 2 Kings 15.39 and Pekah the Son of Remaliah and Iotham slept with his Fathers and Ahaz his Son reigned in his stead In the seventeenth year of Pekah Son of Remaliah Ahaz the Son of Iotham King of Iudah began to reign twenty years old was he when he began to reign and he reigned sixteen years and he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord The Prophets that prophesied in these Kings days were Isaiah Hosea and Micah and how they came to war against Ahaz and Ahaz took the Silver and Gold that was found in the House of the Lord and sent it to the King of Asyria and the King of Assyria carryed the people away Captive and slew Resin and King Ahaz went to meet the King of Assyria at Damascus and made Vrijah the Priest make an Altar and offer thereon after the manner of the Assyrians as you may read in 2 Kings 16. and he turned the Kings entry from the House of the Lord for the King of Assyria 2 Chr. 28. he made his Sons pass through the fire according to the abominations of the Heathen and Ahaz slept with his Fathers In the twelfth year of Ahaz King of Iudah began Hoshea the Son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel and he reigned nine years he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord against him came Shalmaneser King of Assyria and Hoshea became his servant and the King of Assyria found a Conspiracy amongst them as you may read 2 Kings 17. They walked in the Statutes of the Heathen whom the Lord cast out and they served their Idols and they wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Iudah by all the Prophets and by all the Seers saying turn ye from your evil ways and keep my Commandments and Statutes according to all the Laws I commanded your Fathers which I sent to you by my servants the Prophets notwithstanding they would not hear but hardened their necks ver 13.14 and this did Moses prophesie of them Deut. 30.17 In the ninth year of Hoshea the King of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away into Assyria for so it was that Israel had sinned against the Lord their God which brought them up from under the hand of Pharaoh and the Children of Israel did secretly that which was not right against the Lord their God they build them high places and set up Images they burnt Incense they made two Calves and made a Grove and worshipped all the Host of Heaven and served Baal and caused their Sons and their Daughters to pass through the sire and they used Divination and Inchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight and there was none lest but the Tribe of Iudah only for the Children of Israel walked in all the sins of Ieroboam which he did until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight as he had said by his Prophets 10 Tribes carried into Captivity so Israel was carried out of their own Land unto Assyria unto this day Now in the third year of Hoshea King of Israel Hezekiah the Son of Ahaz King of Iudah began to reign and he did that which was right in the sight
and cryed and the people wept and the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron and the whole Congregation said would God we had died in the Land of Egypt would God that we had died in the Wilderness and wherefore hath the Lord brought us up to this Land our Wives and our Children to be a Prey were it not better for us to return into Egypt let us make us a Captain and let us return into Egypt Here you may see how they requited the Lord and how evilly they dealt with him for all his mercies and his wonders which he wrought for them and many a time did they murmur and rebel against the Lord while Moses led them through the Wilderness even forty years long was the Lord grieved with them and tempted with them till he even swore in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest and all along ever since you may see how ill they dealt with the Lord and continually provoked him to anger by their abominations and worshipping of other Gods insomuch that he complains by his Prophet Isaiah hear O Heavens and give ear O earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up Children and they have rebelled against me the Oxe knows his owner c. as you may read through the first Chapter of Isaiah And again in Jer. 2. Be astonish'd O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord for they have forgotten me the Fountain of living 〈…〉 and hewed And again the Apostle when he was speaking of his Kinsmen the Jews according to the flesh saith I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my Brethren my Kinsâ—en according to the flesh who are Israelites to whom pertaineth the adoption and the glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises whose are the Fathers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came who is over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9.3 4 5. And in the first of John when the Disciples were seeking for Christ Jesus turned and saith unto them what seek ye they said unto him Rabbi which being interpreted Master and one of them findeth his Brother and saith unto him we have found the Messiah which being interpreted is the Christ Jesus saw Nathaniel and saith of him behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile ver 47. And Jesus himself saith to the woman of Samaria we know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews the woman saith I know that when the Messâ—â—h cometh which is called Christ he will tell us all things Jesus saith unto her I am he Joh. 4.22 to the 26. ver Thus the Lord performed his faithful Covenant and promise unto Abraham and to his seed of whom according to the flesh Christ came So that you see he is a God that keepeth Covenant with his people though they broke his Commandments and his Laws and his Ordinances and his Statutes yet he fulfilled his Promises and Covenant to them concerning Christ coming in the flesh So now as the Law was given forth by Moses grace and truth cometh by Jesus Christ And so as the Children of Israel and all their Laws and the Ark of the Covenant and their Priests and their Offerings and their Sacrifices and their Sabbaths and their Temple the Apostle saith was but a Figure for the time then present in which were offered both Gifts and Sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience they could not make the Priests perfect as you may read at large in the 9. and 10. Chapters of the Hebrews Therefore the Lord had a further thing in his determination and Decree in the manifesting his Son Christ Jesus in the flesh of which we shall speak more hereafter And the Apostle saith Col. 2. let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day or a new Moon or of the Sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come but the body is Christ And this is that seed which the Apostle saith the promise was made unto Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made he saith not to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which seed is Christ Gal. 3.16 And so notwithstanding that they broke their Covenant with the Lord which stood in outward performances yet the Lord performed his promise and Covenant unto Abraham which is the seed Christ which the Lord calls a new and everlasting Covenant Heb. 8.10 Jer. 31.33 For saith the Apostle it is written that Abraham had two Sons the one by a bond-maid the other by a free-woman he who was of the bond-woman was born after the flesh and he of the free-woman was by promise which things are an Allegory for these are the two Covenants the one from Mount Sinai which gendereth to bondage which is Hagar for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth unto Jerusalem which now is and is in â—ondage with her Children Gal. 4.22 23 24 25. These are they we have treated on all along Jerusalem according to the flesh which were the visible people that the Lord owned in their day upon the Earth which had their Laws outward written in Tables of stone their Covenant outward which was an Ark their Priests whose lips were to preserve their knowledg were outward Priests which was the Tribe of Levi their Offerings and their Sacrifices outward their Sabbath every seventh day their Temple an outward Temple buâ—lded at Jerusalem which they were all to go to worship at once a year as you may read in the Law of Moses and all these they did not perform according to the command of the Lord but broke Covenant on their parts with him So now this other seed which the Lord promised unto Abraham which all the Prophets bare witness of he changeth this first Covenant and this first Priesthood and the Law also as you may read Heb. 7. Now we saith the Apostle as Isaac was are the children of the promise for Jerusalem which now is free which is the mother of us all So then brethren we are not Children of the Bond-woman but of the free Gal. 4. So this seed Christ hath put an end to all that went before him he is the fulfilling and the substance of those that went before that were figures and types for he hath obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant which is established upon better promises For if the first Covenant had been fruitless then should no place have been sought for the second but finding fault with the first he promised the second Heb. 8.6 7. as you may read in the most of the Prophesies of the Prophets who have not only relation to the first Covenant which we have treated on before but also to this second and New
29. Isa 13.10 Ezek. 32.7 but Christ saith farther verily I say unto you this Generation shall not pass away till all these things be fulfilled which were fulfilled according to Christs words for before the Disciples were removed all these things came to pass and were fulfilled in that day and the Apostles saw and knew the sum and substance of all that was spoken fulfilled but the next words makes it clear Heaven and Earth shall pass away saith Christ but my word shall not pass away my word shall endure for ever and is fullilling through all Generations yea beyond the Heaven and the Earth one Generation comes and another Generation goes and the word fulfills through them all and though that Generation did not pass till these words were fulfilled yet they continue in the substance the same fulfilling for ever to the end of the world Christ saith I will be with you who is the word but of the day and houe knoweth no man no not the Angels but my Father only for the times and seasons are in the Fathers hand And according to this the Apostle saith 1 Jâ—h 2. the world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever Little Children it is the last time and ye have heard that Antichrist should come and I even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time they went out from us c. ver 17.18 and Jude 17. Beloved remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ how they told you there should be mockers in the last time who walk after their own hearts lusts So these with several others that might be mentioned confirmeth the truth of the night of the Apostacy that was coming on and that the true Church of Christ that was among the Apostles should go into the Wilderness after their decease and departure which John saw would come to pass as you may read in Rev. 12. There was War in Heaven then the true Worship of God was lost and that eternal Spirit which was in the Apostles where the wicked one had no part but they had overcome the wicked one 1 Joh. 2. I have written unto you young men because you are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one ver 14. That Spirit was lost which was among the Apostles they sat together in heavenly places in Christ Iesus as you may read Eph. 1.3 and Chap. 2.6 And Iesus exhorted his Disciples to lay up their treasure in Heaven for he said where the treasure is there the heart will be also Math. 6.20 21. But this worship of God and power was lost when the Woman sled into the Wilderness The Church of Christ gone into the Wilderness and then the Dragon got up and made War in Heaven and to this agrees that Prophesie of Christ where he saith the powers of the Heavens shall be shaken Mat. 24.29 but Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels as you may read in the 10. of Daniel after Daniel had mourned three full weeks and had eaten no pleasant bread neither came Wine in his mouth until three full weeks were fulfilled after this Daniel saw the Visions and heard the voice that said fear not Daniel for from the first day that thou settest thine heart to understand and to chasten thy self before thy God thy words were heard and I am come for thy words but the Prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me many days but loe Michael one of the chief Princes came to help me now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the last days for yet the Vision is for many days and after this Daniel became dumb and fell upon the ground and retained no strength neither was breath left in him then the Angel came again and touched him as you may read and said knowest thou wherefore I am come unto thee and now I will return and sight with the Prince of Persia and when I am come forth loe the Prince of Grecia shall come which is the third Monarchy but I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scriptures of truth and there is none that holdeth with me in these things but Michael the Prince ver 21. So Michael stood for the Angel there in the days of Daniel against the power of the Dragon this Michael the Apostle calls the Archangel Jude 9. And so here in the Apostacy Michael and his Angels have fought against the Dragon and his Angels for they prevailed not while the woman hath been in the Wilderness for it is a place prepared of God for her that she should be fed there a thousand two hundred and threescore days but after this John saw the Dragon cast out that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan which had deceived the whole world there was no more place for him in Heaven but he was cast out into the earth and his Angels were cast out with him when the true and precious seed of the body which is Christ which is his Church appeared again in which the wicked one hath no part then there was no place sound in Heaven for the Dragon therefore saith Iohn Rejoyce ye Heavens and ye that dwell in them woe unto the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth his time is but short this is very truly witnessed and fulfilled at this day for where the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is witnessed and where his seed is raised up in any where the Spirit of Satan hath no place in their Worship but they worship in the Spirit of the Lord and in his Truth then Satan rages in the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea whither he is cast for in their Heaven and in their Worship he is there making war but where he is cast out from Heaven there he persecutes the Woman that brings forth the man-child and is wroth with her and makes war with the remnant of her seed which keeps the Commandements of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ Rev. 12.17 And in the next Chapter when John stood upon the sand of the Sea which was but a brittle foundation for it was to be done away there he saw the beast arise out of the Sea with his seven heads and ten horns and his ten crowns and upon his heads the name of Blasphemy as you may read throughout that 13. Chapter to the end but afterwards John saw an Angel slying in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth and he cryed with a loud voice unto every Nation and Tongue and People and Kindred saying Fear God and give glory to him and worship him that made Heaven and Earth
was risen from the dead Now if Christ be preached saith the Apostle that he rose from the dead how say some among you that there is no Resurrection from the dead ver 12. but if there be no Resurrection of the dead then is not Christ risen this is very true for by the Resurrection of Christ the dead arises by preaching of his resurrection and if Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and ye are yet in your sins then also they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perish'd but now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that sleep for since by man came death by man also came the resurrection of the dead for as in Adam all died so in Christ all shall be made alive there is a natural body and there is a spiritual body saith the Apostle And some men will say how are the dead raised and with what body do they come thou fool that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die and that which thou sowest is not the body which shall be for that thou sowest must die that it may encrease God giveth it a body as it pleaseth him but to every seed it s own body so whatsoever seed thou sowest whether it be Wheat or any other grain though that which thou sowest die in the ground that it may encrease yet it bringeth forth its own body it s own nature it s own image And to this agrees Christs own words in John 12. where he saith verily I say unto you except a corn of Wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit this he spake when he saw his hour was coming and he said Father save me from this hour but for this cause came I unto this hour Job 12 24. to the 27. And now this great Husbandman the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ he did sow his seed in Adam and it died that it might encrease in Christ Jesus who is the resurrection and the life of this seed and the Lord hath watched and waited and had an eye over his Vineyard Isa 5.1 as we have shewed throughout this Treatise but the Apostle goes on farther and speaks of the glory of the Sun and of the Moon and of the Stars and saith so also is it in the Resurrection it is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sown in weakness it is raised in power it is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body for so it is written the first man was made a living soul the second Adam a quickening spirit howbeit that Adam was not first which is sâ—iritual but that Adam which is natural and afterwards that which is spiritual the first man of the earth earthy the second man the Lord from Heaven as is the earthy such are they also that are earthy as is the heavenly such are they that are heavenly and as we have born the image of the earthy so shall we bear the image of the heavenly Now I say unto you Brethren that flesh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdom of God and so on to the end of the Chapter And this is the earthy that which is of the first man flesh and blood which must not inherit incorruption and this is the resurrection that we witness and wait for the spiritual body the spiritual image the spiritual life the quickening spirit the Lord from Heaven the gathering of the immortal seed to the great Lord of the Harvest the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that he desires his Disciples to pray for to send forth painful Labourers into his harvest So the great God is now coming to gather his great Harvest and his Crop that he hath sown so long since and the Angels are his Reapers and waited for and watched over as you may read through this Book And to this agrees that which Christ saith in Math. 25. when the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as the Shepherd divideth the Sheep from the Goats and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand but the Goats on his left ver 31 32 33. and so shall the resurrection of the just be to life and the resurrection of the unjust unto condemnation this is the Resurrection that all shall find and may expect for Christ hath been as he saith in this Chapter as one in a far Country and hath called his servants and hath delivered unto them his Talents and as every one hath gained and profited so shall they receive So it is required of every one to know the precious seed which God hath elected and chosen for himself of all seeds he hath chosen but one the precious seed though it be likened unto a grain of Mustard-seed which is the least of all seeds but is the most precious and pure and holy seed because it came from the life and breath of the immortal pure God whose life and immortality dwells in eternal light and eternal brightness So the Lord by his glorious word and power is gathering in again his precious and holy seed and renewing and restoring a far more and exceeding weight of glory than what was the glory of the first man the glory of the second man far exceeded it for as the Apostle saith the first man was made a living Soul so likewise David saith he was made a little lower than the Angels Psal 8. what is man that thou art so mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him for thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour thou hast made him to have Dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feet which words the Apostle rehearseth again in the 2. of Heb. and saith that he left nothing that was not put under him then in that state that he then stood in which was before the Fall but now saith the Apostle we see not all things put under him why because he was come under in his transgression and fallen from that where God had set him but saith the Apostle we see Jesus who is made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death he is crowned with glory and honour that is everlasting that he by the grace of God should taste of death for every man which glory and honour changeth not as the glory and honour of the first man did So the glory of the first man Adam he was made a living Soul a little lower than the Angels and all the glory of the first body he was crowned with and had Dominion over all the visible Creation and had power over all the Creatures that God had made God set him King over
all the works of his hands and gave him dominion and power over them and here is the glory of the first man and the glory of the first body the visible glory of the Creation all things that God had made in the Heaven and in the Earth and when he looked upon them behold they were very good Adam was crowned with the glory of them all and had the Dominion over them but this Dominion he lost and this glory he stained through his disobedience and transgression and so fell and became servant and in a state of servitude and not only so but painful and miserable with a sentence upon him that in the sweat of his face he should eat his bread So after this as hath been shewed the Lord of his infinite mercy confirmed his eternal love and Election of Grace in his promise unto his seed and Covenant unto Abraham that of him he would bring forth a seed in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed which he hath faithfully and perfectly performed as hath been shewed And so he chose a people from amongst all the families of the earth that he did owne for himself as you may read Deut. 7.6 which he knew and had regard and love unto above all the families of the earth as hath been shewed and manifested Yet according as Adam did there rebell and transgress against him though he had a continual care and an eye over them and a continual regard unto them and watched over them by his holy Angels as you may read in the Scriptures for man was at that time lower than the Angels The Lord spake unto Abraham and Sarah by Angels and unto Jacob and the Lord spake unto Moses by his Angel Exod. 3.2 and Acts 7.3 where Stephen saith And God sent Moses to be a Ruler and a Deliverer by the hand of the Angel which appeared to him in the Bush God also sent his Ange unto David after he had numbred the people as you may read 1 Chron. 21. God sent an Angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it and when David â—ift up his eyes and saw the Angel of the Lord stand between the Earth and the Heaven having a drawn sword in his hand stretched over Jerusalem then David and the Elders of Israel humbled themselves as you may read after then the Lord commanded the Angel and he put up his sword into its sheath The Angel also was sent unto Zacharias and Elisabeth before the Birth of John and unto Mary before the Birth of Christ as you know and the Angel came unto the Shepherds after the Birth of Christ Luke 2.9 And the Angels came and ministred unto him Math. 4.11 So the revelation of Jesus Christ was signified by his Angel Rev. 1. with many more that might be brought Cornelius was warned of God by an Angel Acts 10. and Stephen when he was bearing his testimony before the High-Priest when he said Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hearts and ears which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted and slain them which shewed before of the coming of the just one of whom ye have been betrayers and murtherers who have received the Law by the disposition of Angels and have not kept it Acts 7.53 and Gal. 3.19 The Law was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator So the Prophets and such as the Lord made Overseers and Leaders of his people the Lord spoke to them by his Angels and the Law they received by the Angels but as the Apostle saith in the fulness of time God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law Gal. 4.3 for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us read on in Rom. 8. So they that walk after the Spirit they are those that fulfill the righteousness of the Law for the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus makes free from the Law of sin and death and this renews into the right and into the perfect Image which is not lower than the Angels but into the Image of the Son unto which all the Angels are subject according to the Apostles words Heb. 1. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds who being the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins for that was the work he was to do when as the Apostle saith he became lower than the Angels for the suffering of death and so took not upon him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham and there he hath tasted death for every man that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to Bondage and when he had finished this work he is set down on the right hand of the Majesty on high being made so much better than the Angels as he hath by an inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they for to which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And again when he bringeth in his first begotten into the world he said Let all the Angels worship him and to his Angels he saith Who hath made his Angels Spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire but unto the Son he saith Thy Throne O God is for ever a Scepter of Righteousness is the Scepter of thy Kingdom And so on So here you may see as the first man was made a little lower than the Angels so the second man the Lord from Heaven the quickening spirit is made higher than the Angels the brightness of the Fathers glory and his express image And so this is the seed and body and image which the Lord God is raising and restoring and preparing to do his will which far exceeds the glory of the first body for the glory of the first body was a visible glory but the glory of the second man the second body is an invisible glory and known and seen by the invisible eye and manifested by the invisible power and spirit of our Lord Jesus in whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins who is the image of the invisible God and the first born of every creature by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for