that they not being the objects of sense are the less feared or discerned and can the more easily mingle themselves with or insinuate themselves into our spirits which are somewhat of like nature with them that such essences were created by Christ is affirmed in Col. 1.16 Things visible and invisible c and that some of these leaving their first habitation or principality fell from God and are reserved in chains of darkness unto the Judgement of the great Day which they also tremble at the thoughts of is affirmed by the Apostle Jude 6. Nor need I go about to prove to you that there are such for I speak to you that are Saints and therefore I hope not easily gulled into the error of the Sadduces to deny that there are Angels or Spirits or any thing that cannot be seen or discerned with bodily senses you cannot be Saints if ye believe no more then your senses perceive for then neither can ye believe that there is a God forasmuch as with mortal eyes you cannot see him and Saints they are not that believe not in him much less that believe him not to be because they cannot see him The Scriptures everywhere plentifully testifie to this that there are both Angels and Spirits good and evil and such as I speak to are born of that Word of Faith that is held forth in the Scriptures else have they nothing to do to conceive that they have any interest in the glorious priviledges there spoken of I shall leave others to believe what there is said or to take theâ—… course till they experiment the truth thereof iâ— their own smart There is an evil spirit I saâ— whereof the Saints have experience with many emissaries or Angels unclean and evil spiriâ— too that worketh in the children of disobedâ—ence bewitching the minds of men with false iâ—lusions and stirring up that corruption thaâ— is in them to their own and others perjudiâ—… He blows and stirs men up to opposition agaiâ— God and his Truth and kindleth up anger aâ—… wrath against the Saints because of the truth deceiving the world and suggesting to them thâ—… the Saints are an evil people not fit to be peâ—mitted amongst men suiting himself to meâ— several dispositions ways and principles Tâ—… the prophane and men bent upon their lusts aâ—… pleasures he insinuates that the Truth of Goâ— and the Saints that profess it are opposite 〈◊〉 them and seek to cross them of their enterpâ—ses and therefore that it cannot go well witâ— them while they are permitted To those thâ—… are potent and powerful in the world he suâ—gests that these people are refractory to theâ— and under pretence of worshipping God 〈◊〉 Christ deny subjection to them and therefoâ—… not to be tolerated To them that are world wise he presenteth their way as foolish anâ— therefore to be despised To them that are falâ—…ly and ignorantly zealous he representeth theâ—… as Sectaries and perillous to their way of Religion and so fitting his suggestions to their several tempers stirreth them all up to war against them Sometimes also he worketh in some of more seeming ingenuous tempers to flatter and intice them with worldly proffers from their way of Piety and Religion Yea he can insinuate into the Saints themselves and suggest such things to their hearts as tend to supplant them and set one to play the adversary to another either by flattering speeches to perswade one another to turn aside from the way of Christ to avoide the Cross and persecution or else by raising up emulations divisions or the like to weaken them He Proteus like can transform himself into any shape and put into the world and into the flesh an addition of his own power and policy to make them more dangerous enemies unto the Saints to harm them The Beast the worldly power setting it self in the House of God and the false Prophet the pretended spiritual but really corrupt power worldlified into a way of secular pride and pomp are both strengthened by him the great red Dragon to persecute the woman clothed with the Sun and the Offâ—spring that she brings forth in the earth and happy is he that is not overcome by one wile or other of him Great need deer fellow-Travellers to look about us and to take to our selves Armor of Proof and to stand upon our Watch that none of these potent enemies do circumvent us and turn back from the possession of the eternal inherâ—tance to prevent which before I come to sheâ—… you the way to escape their force I shall say little about the Temptations that God orders 〈◊〉 his people by them chiefly some of the moâ—… dangerous of them CHAP. III. Of Temptations Sect. 1. That God suffereth his Saints to be tempted and why YOur estate being such as I haâ—… described you may see that yoâ— have ground to expect tempâ—…tions and cause neither to bâ— secure considering your imperfections nor yet diffident coâ—sidering what perfection you have in Christ Jâ—sus Your ground to expect them may be fuâ—ther seen in this that God pleases to order theâ—… to his people permitting them to be tempted 〈◊〉 Satan who of his own nature is most read thereto as may be seen in the head of the Saint even the Lord Christ Jesus We read thâ—… when He was Baptized and the heavens openâ—… upon him and God had declared him to be his well-beloved Son and the Spirit was poured out upon him designing him to be the Minister and servant of God to the world in the revelation of the knowledge of God to them Matth. 4.1 though God had testified his welpleasedness in him yet even him Satan set upon and thrust sorely at that he might try his strength and God also by his Spirit led him into this way into the Wilderness to be tempted of Satan sure to let us see what we are to expect and look for viz a portion too in temptation as of old he led his Israel also into the Wilderness and suffered a day of temptation to fall upon them before he led them into Canaan And that 's Gods trying men in this way that he leads them into such occasions and into such a way as wherefrom Satan take advantages to tempt them And though Satan do herein evilly like himself yet God doth it for good as to the Israelites of old because as there so here much mixt people comes out of Egypt with the Saints Many come out of the worldly Societies and Fellowships wayes and professions upon the heare-say of the Gospel and through the light truth that they see therein who yet are not so principled as the Saints not of their spirit and disposition though amongst them drawn by the hope of the inheritance but not so moulded into holy confidence and that those might be made manifest and either healed or turned quite out therefore God doth order temptations to them and then many such depart from amongst the Saints because they were not of them of
perish in the smoothness of their own Psal 81.10,11,12 2 Thes 2.10,11 The Serpent deceived Eve parling with him alone she listning to him and eating of the Tree before any mention made of advising with Adam and being her self deceived she became an instrument under pretence of her experience or knowledge of its goodness to lead Adam also into the transgression and verily the Apostle intimates that the forsaking the Assemblies of each other is the leading way to that wilful sinning that excludes from all further benefit of Christs Sacrifice and mediation and layes open to devouring judgement And Jude exhorting earnestly to contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints against ungodly men that deny the onely Lord God and our Lord Jesus after many Badges and Characters of them he gives this as the last vers 19. these are they that separate themselves sensual not having the Spirit these are withdrawers of themselves from the Gospel and its Ordinances and the Assemblies of faithful men and are sensual that is judge of Gods Wayes by sense and not by faith the spirit of which they want and so give not God the glory of his Wisdom and Truth they see no form or beauty in the Gospel in prayer in breaking bread in mutual helping and provoking one another what is in these things say they we have used them so and so long and we feel no good in them like those in Mal. 3.15 What profit is it that we have observed his Ordinances and walked mourfully before the Lord So stout are their words against the Lord though they will not see it but run from the simplicity of Gods appointments and so deprive themselves both of that preservation and growth in the faith that in patience continuance and holding fast their profession and confidence they should meet with and also of that future reward that God gives to those that fear his Name whose often speakings to one another he hearkens to and hears and sets down in his book of Remembrance according to that of Solomon Eccles 4 9. Two are better then one because they have a good reward for their labour and if they fall the one will lift up his fellow but wo to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to lift him Such a one is both more easily overturned and thrown down and being gone is the less recoverable Again If two lie together they may have heat but how can one be warm alone In Christian Communion and abiding together in the fellowship of the Gospel there is spiritual heat and fervor one whets up and provoketh another to love and good works of which the forsakeing of the Assembly depriveth a man yea if one prevail against him two shall withstand him One may watch over another in Christian Communion yea and a threefold cord is not easily broken where two or three are gathered together in the Name of Christ there he comes in and twists them faster in his Spirit so that unless by untwining them they are not easily broken Take we heed then to watch over one another and frequent Gods Ordinances together And indeed God hath appointed such Ordinances as will put us upon mutual walking together as exhorting one another joint prayers in the Name of Christ breaking of bread c. so that we must despise and kick against Gods Authority if we will not walk in the faith together yea he hath so measured out his Gifts and Grace amongst his Saints that none might say to other I have no need of thee and that we may not attain to comprehend the depth length heighth and breadth and know the love of God that passeth knowledge but in unity with all Saints Ephes 3.17,18 Despise not Prophesying then nor forsake not the assemblies of your selves but build up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost walking in and provoking one another to love and good works firmly believing his Promise of blessing who hath said In every place where I record my Name I will come to thee and I will bless thee Exod. 20.24 And again Blessed is he that heareth my words and watcheth daily at the posts of my gates for he that findeth me findeth life c. Prov. 8.33 And where brethren dwell together in unity there God commandeth his blessing even life for evermore Psal 133.1.4 Sect. 9. That the Ordinances of Christ are yet in force and none ought to slight or exempt themselves from subjection to them BUT forasmuch as here thou art in danger to be incountred with many specious words tending to withdraw thee from the fellowship of the Gospel and with brethren in the Ordinances of Christ needful it is that something more be spoken thereabout to warn thee of some dangerous principles that do great service herein to Satan for thou mayst meet with them that will not onely deride at the simplicity and seeming weakness of the Ordinances of Christ not considering that it is the usual way of God to make choice and use of the weak things of the world to be the mediums of glorifying his power and of confounding the things that be mighty that so the power might be known to be of God and not of the medium or outward ordinance and so consequently that they that contemn the Ordinances of God for their weakness and sorriness do therein despise and condemn the wisdom of God and deprive themselves of the blessing that he holds forth by and â—nd in them But also will tell thee that they for their parts are got into a higher Form or to be under a more glorious dispensation above all Forms or Ordinances so as that they are of nouse or profit to them so that God is throwing them down or hath cast them by and it s a far happier and higher state to be and live above them then under them so intising thee from attendance to God in them to aspire Eve-like to that better and higher condition but therein they play the Serpent with thee and therefore beware of them Indeed there are Ordinances that believers are not under viz. the ordinances of mans invention in the worship of God for otherwise we are to be subject to the civil Ordinances of man for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.13 such as Touch not tast not handle not c. according to the traditions commandements of men Col. 2.22 as also the Ordinances of the Law of Moses and Jewish observations Christ hath freed us from but of these is not the question but of the Ordinances of the Lord even of the Lord Jesus such as Preaching Hearing Prayer Baptism the Supper of the Lord c. Concerning which also that 's not to be denied that they are not the matter we are to live upon the meat we are to feed on The Lord Jesus himself as he is the great Witness of the love of God to us and the Revealer of his minde is the true Lord of heaven and
freeing not onely the spirits of the Saints from thraldome in a first fruits but their bodies also from death and corruption which is called the redemption of our bodies Rom 8.23 When every eye shall see him c. Rev. 1.7 When all that are in their graves shall come forth some to the resurrection of life others to the resurrection of condemnation c. Joh. 5.29 When all the Saints together shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and be for ever with him 1 Thes 4.16,17 Now as these men deny this his glorious personal coming turning all so well as their wits will serve them and their Father help them into an Allegory so in these two things they grossly err 1. In thinking that persons to whom Christ hath come by his Spirit and whom he hath raised and quickned up to a lively hope as in the first sense are thereby above Ordinances and not bound to attend them for indeed then are they fittest to use them and will be most profitable or profited in attending on God in them Besides we finde the Apostles and other Primitive Believers of another way and judgement when the Spirit was poured upon Cornelins and his houshold that exempted them not from the outward Baptism Acts 10.48 nor were the Apostles themselves exempted from solemn prayers and fasting breaking of bread Preaching the VVord c. even after the holy Ghost was poured upon them and Christ by his Spirit dwelt with them as is plain in Acts 4.24,31 and 6.4,6 and 13.1,3 and 14.23 yea Wo to me saith Paul even after the holy Ghost was shed abundantly upon him Tit. 3 6. if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.16 and the Bread saith he that we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ and the Cup that we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 yea in 1 Cor. 12.13 We are all baptized saith he by or in one spirit into one body and have been made to drink into one Spirit and Chap. 6.11 they were washed justified sanctified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God but what were they all above Ordinances therefore no matter for observing them No such matter but they are yet ordered about their eating the Lords Supper yea and such as whose election in the sanctification of the Spirit is affirmed are exhorted by the Apostles to Prayer to attend on Prophesying to stand fast hold the traditionâ— such as the Supper of the Lord is called 1 Cor. 11.25 received from them either by word or writing 2 Thes 2.13,14,15 Many other like passages thou mayst finde in the Apostles Writings which they writ to preserve the Churches from sin and error which may discover the falseness of that conception Yet 2. They err much worse in that confounding the coming of Christ in Spirit to the spirits 〈◊〉 men in particular with the great Day of the Lord when he shall come to the destruction of ungodly men and the utmost salvation of all that have believed on him the Kingdom of God in the hearts of men in this Day of which Christ spake to the Pharisees Luke 17.20,21 that it comes not with observation and that it is in men yea in the Pharisees working and tendring it self to their hearts though rejected by them but filling those that receive it with righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost with the glorious Kingdom of Christ which he â—s gone to receive and which shall be set up or made manifest in the world at his great coming when he shall judge the quick and dead 2 Tim. â— 1 of which he spake to his Disciples Luke 17.21,22,23 they apply to themselves as already â—…ne in and upon them those things that are proper to that great Day of his destroying the â—…eat hope and expectation of the Saints which 〈◊〉 that great and glorious appearing Tit. 2.13 denying and mocking at that his visible and glorious coming yea and where their principle 〈◊〉 somewhat throughly improved denying the Resurrection or Redemption of the body and â—…ying the Resurrection all thats to be hoped â—or or met with is here accomplished which we â—…all speak more fully to in the proper place and â—…casion Onely now I would have thee minde that they are strongly deluded herein and that they are of those that our Saviour there doth warn us of that say Lo here lo there see here in us and to us Christ is come and the day of the Lord is revealed with us or with such and such persons the Judgement is over the mystery is fulfilled the world is at an end and we are iâ— possession of our glory though others yet are not Believe them not saith our Saviour neither go after them for that coming of the Soâ— of man shall be as visible and evident in a moment as the lightning that shines from one enâ— of the heavens unto the other end thereof iâ— shall be open and manifest to all Luke 17.22 23. Every eye shall see him even those that havâ— pierced him and all the families of the eartâ— shall wail over him Rev. 1.7 As the bringing in and alteration of former dispensations or administrations of his Kingdom have been witnessed and evidenced by notorious Demonstrations oâ— Gods Authority and presence so shal this last alâ— teration be more visible and notorious then thâ— rest When God gave the Law of Moses he did iâ— in a solemn manner with the voyces of thunderings and lightnings the shaking of the earth c. by which he owned and confirmed it as of him and when he took away that administration and brought in his onely Son and the Ordinance of the Kingdom in its present external administration he owned and attested his altering the former and bringing this in by the gift of tongues and by many wonders and signs and divers powerful works and distributions of the Holy Ghost Heb. 2.3 And when the time of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken of by the mouth of his Prophets shall come and when he shall send his Son Jesus Christ again Acts 7.21,22 whom the heavens till then must contain to take an account of all men how they have submitted to him in the former administrations of his Truth and Grace amongst them and to render to every man according to his works shall that be hidden and done now to this man and then to that no man sees how without any poblike evidence to the world No no that shall be most powerfully and to the world with greatest solemnity declared so as none shall be thereof ignorant but all flesh shall see his salvation unto is people together and those that have rebelled shall be with wondrous terror delivered over to their eternal destruction The heavens shall be on a flame or the elements melt with fervent heat 2 Pet. 3.7,10,12 even these heavens and elements and the host of them that
Son Jesus Christ Acts 14.15 as the fountain of and the proper way to that life and salvation See the sum of it in 1 Tim. 2.5,6 That there is one God and one mediatour between God and man the man Christ Jesus Who hath given himself a ransome for All as an evidence of Gods good will to All that he would have all men to be saved and to come to know the truth This ye are to hold forth unto men that there is a God to be adored worshipped submitted tâ— trusted in and served the author of our life and breath and all things the fountain of bliss and happiness and that this God is one in Essence mind purpose faithfulness and so that All other powers that the Heathens have fancied and adored are Idols vanities and confusion all things empty and too weak to save or satisfie besides him that eternal life and happiness consists in the true knowledge and enjoyment of him And yet this unity of the Godhead is so to be held forth that the Trinity therein also may be acknowledged otherwise men shall not rightly apprehend or worship him according to the Christian Faith and Doctrine Concerning which let me a little declare my mind to you though it may seem a Digression because mens errour hereabout I find to be often an inlet to many other evil false conceptions I know some make that Trinity or threefoldness in the Divine being but only a threefold denomination of the same personal subsistence and that there is no other distinction between Father Word and Spirit but only in that diversity of denomination which appears to be an evident falshood in this that by the same rule that God the Father Word and Spirit is called three because they are three denominations He might be called seven or ten or more there being many other denominations in the Scripture given to him as Jehovah Lord of Hosts Jah Elohim Ehjeh Eloah Adonaâ— the Almighty and divers others but yet he is not said to be so many as he hath denominations given him in any part of Scripture Besides different denominations of the same person or personal subsistence may be convertibly predicated of one another as where the same man is Father and Son Husband and Master and Magistrate in divers respects there it may be said the Master is the Father and the Father is Governour c. but so it cannot be said of these three the Father the Son and the holy Ghost The Scripture never says the Father is the Son or the Father is the holy Ghost or the holy Ghost is the Father or the Word or Son is the Father though God is a Spirit and Christ an everlasting Father in regard of us yet not the Father of the only begotten Son nor is the Father the Spirit sent by the Father and yet these three are but one and the same God A great mysterie it is I confess and such as passes expression fully to declare and open yet a truth it is that the Scriptures many ways attest both in the Prophetical and Apostolical writings Moses hints it in speaking of God plurally and yet joyning that plural word with a singular verb as when he says Elohim Bara the Gods or the Mighties he created Heaven and Earth c. And again Nahashu let us make man in our Image plurally and yet by and by he changes the phrase and speaks in the singular number God or the Mighties made man in his Image with which agrees divers other phrases as that in Psal 149.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let Israel rejoyce in his makers and that in Eccles 12.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remember thy Creators in the days of thy youth and the like in Job 35.10 and yet more fully in 2 Sam. 7.23 what one people in the earth is like to thy people Israel whom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verbatim The Gods went to redeem to himself The words that we translate God and went being both of the plural number and yet the prâ—noun relative that is added is singular to himself not to themselves The two former words plainly intimating the plurality in way of subsistence and the singular pronoun the unity in Essence which also is held forth in Gods appearing unto Abraham in which he appeared as three men and Abraham sometimes speaks to him as one and sometime in the plural number as to more Gen. 18. Whence some Hebrew Doctors have also written thus upon the word Elohim which is usually translated God See Ainsw in Gen. 1. Come and see the mysterie of the word Elohim there are three degrees and every degree by it self alone and yet notwithstanding they are all one and joyned together in one and are not divided one from another These places with divers others as to instance one more that in Deut. 6.5 Hear O Israel the Lord thy Almighties is one Lord intimate a plurality in unity but other places express that plurality to be a Trinity or threefoldness in unity as that in Psalm 33.6 By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host thereof by the breath of his mouth or by the Spirit of his mouth for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both So that there we have mentioned the Lord Jehovah his Word and Spirit as the like we may see also in Isa 42.1,2 Behold my servant whom I uphold which is spoken of the word made Flesh Jesus Christ Mat. 12. who though he was in the form of God and counted it no robbery to be equal with him yet emptyed himself and came in the form of a servant Phil. 2.6,7 c. Mine elect in whom my soul delighteth I have pat my spirit upon him c. there is the Father held forth under that word I my he whose servant Christ became and whose elected and delightful Son he is and there 's the Son as before was noted and the Spirit of the Father put upon him The like expressions of the Trinity sce again Isa 11.1,2 and 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me there is the Lord Jehovah the Father and Me that is the Word as incarnate and made flesh and the Spirit or holy Ghost put upon Christ which things are yet more clearly opened in the writings of the Evangelists and Apostles as is to be seen in Mat. 3.17 where we have this Trinity distinctly named Christ baptized the holy Ghost descending upon him visibly in the appearance of a Dove and the Father speaking out of heaven and owning him for his beloved Son Here was more then a threefold denomination of one personal subsistence the Father and Son here are plainly distinguished for he says not of himself I am the beloved Son but of Christ this is my beloved Son c. In 2 John 3. he is distinguished plainly from him Grace and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father c. See the like in Col.
similitude to and dissimilitude from Christ in some few particulars ibid. Sect. 2. More particularly and 1. After the flesh p. 14 Sect. 3. 2. After the Spirit p. 17 Sect. 4. 3. In a mixt consideration with reference to Christ p. 20 Sect. 5. 4. In the same consideration with reference to enemies p. 28. Chap. 3. Of the Saints Temptations and Sect. 1. That God ordereth temptations to them and why p. 36 Sect. 2. Of Satan and his subtilty in tempting p. 41 Sect. 3. Some instances in his tempting Christ Matth. 4. p. 44 Sect. 4. Of Satans main drift in all his temptations p. 56 Sect. 5. Of the messengers of Satan p. 65 Sect. 6. Of their way and subtilty in temping p. 71 Sect. 7. Of the dangerous issue of those that fall into their snares p. 78 Sect. 8. Who are in danger to be snared by them p. 81 Sect. 9. Of temptations to distrust p. 91 Chap. 4. Of the remedies and helps against temptations and Sect. 1. That God hath provided helps p. 94 Sect. 2. Of the five former pieces of the spiritual armor Eph. 6. p. 97 Sect. 3. Of the sixth the Word of God p. 107 Sect. 4. Of the Scriptures p. 115 Sect. 5. Some objections against them answered p. 120 Sect. 6. A caveat against mens wresting them p. 141 Sect. 7. Of the seventh piece viz. Prayer p. 153 Sect. 8. Of Brotherly Communion p. 164. Sect. 9. Of Sobermindedness or Humility p. 184 Chap. 5. Of the Reward of the Saints and Sect. 1. That there is a reward p. 190 Sect. 2. Of the Promise and the heirs of it p. 193 Sect. 3. Of the time of the receit of the reward p. 195 Sect. 4. Of the Resurrection p. 200 Sect. 5. Of Heaven and Glory p. 209 Sect. 6. Incouragements to expect that glory p. 213 Sect. 7. Of knowing Christ after the flesh and after the Spirit p. 219 Chap. 6. The Conclusion with Exhortations p. 234 Sect. 1. The usefulness of Exhortations to Saints ibid. Sect. 2. Exhortations to walk worthy of God p. 244 Sect. 3. Exhortations to walk worthily to brethren p. 253 Sect. 4. How to walk towards Deceivers and Deceived p. 257 Sect. 5. How to walk toward the world p. 275 Sect. 6. The Doctrine to be held forth to them and therein somewhat of the Trinity p. 281 Sect. 7. A Discovery of the preposterousness of some in their holding forth to the world as they do Election and Reprobation p. 300 REader It will somewhat conduce to thy right understanding what is in this Treatise presented to thee to take notice of and Correct these following mistakes which through my absence from the Press and the Printers oversight have happened viz. Page 4. line 5. read religious actions p. 5. l. 29. r. that p. 6. l. 1. r. never so great and l. 16. r. too p. 11. l. 9. r. fleshly p. 19. l. 29. r. life p. 28. l. 9. r. your p. 42. l. 29. r. visors p 45. l. 3. r. where p. 47. l. 26. r. then p. 48. l. 18. r. preserve p. 59. l. 9. r. by not p. 61. l. 17. r. perswade l. 19. r. nothing less p. 78. l. 10. r. with those p. 8â— l. 3. r. all that have p. 108. l. 26. r. so bemisted p. 124. l 11. r. three p. 146. l. 10 r. they p. 144. l. 19. put out and. p. 152. l. 23. put out to p. 154. l. 3. r. unless p. 163. l. 1. put out too l. 9. r. with p. 166. l. 22. put out will p. 172. l. 2. r. food p. 175. l. 16. r. lo. p. 186. l. 18. r. crutches p. 194. l. 29. r. any p. 194. l. 4. r. both p. 208. l. 9. blot out and. p. 217. l. 2. blot out so p. 226. l. 1. r. one and other p. 235. l. 19. r. though p. 240. l. 19. blot out that p. 245. l 26. r. specially p. 254. l. 4. r. and. p. 256. l. 26. r. walking p. 259. l. 11. blot out us p. 260. l. 20. r. or p. 266. l. 25 r. destruction p. 274. l. 9. r. 2 Tim. p. 280. l. 19. r. and. p. 284. l. 8. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 292. l 16. r. illustrate p. 294 l. 2. r. intercepted p. 297. l. 2. r. be p. 298 l. 11 r. to p. 305. l. 20 r. we love him p. 310. l. 16. r. mediation In the Postscript p. 2. l. 15. r. drawing back p. 4. l. 15. r. confessions CHAP. I. A Description of Saints BEcause there are many lay claim to the name of Saints who yet are not rightly such and so apply to themselves the priviledges of and instructions proper to them when they appertain not to them I shall in the first place say something by way of Description of â—he true Saints of God to whom that title proâ—erly may be given and therein shew both First What and who they are not And then Secondly What and who they are Sect. 1. Who are not Saints They are not PRophane loose persons that live as they list and follow their lusts whether they â—e such as never knew or walked better or such as having known and walked better are relapsed again to their former or worse corruptions this is so known a thing and so generally granted that I shall not need to insist upon it The Scripture calls such sons of Belial ungodly unholy sinners and opposeth them and chiefly the latter sort unto the Saints 2. They are not men that have nothing more then civil education and moral honesty let them be accompanied with never so good natural parts and abilities moral honesty in a just dealing in things pertaining to men though a thing found in Saints and to be practised makes noâ— men Saints for there have been many such before any sanctifying force hath passed upon them yea many such have been not only without the knowledge of God but also opposite in their hearts unto it Paul had such a carriage while a Pharisee and so the young man spoken of in Matth. 19.20 Yea many such there may be found that have no savor of Piety but and profest worshippers of Mahomet or Paganisâ— Idolators even such must have another birth birth from heaven before they can enter God Kingdom Joh. 3.3.5 3. They are not every one that is of this oâ— that Opinion or Judgement in matters of Religion not every one that opines conceives oâ— joyns with a right profession or form of Doctrine seeing many such may be loose in hear and conversation And many have a form of godliness that deny the power of it 2 Tim. 3.5 Many may be guilded over with a fair profession that yet are rotten underneath true doctrines do much conduce to the making and leading on Saints if minded and submitted to and some points are useful as means to direct men to and facilitate their Piety and Saintship more then others perhaps more commonly received for true which yet are not accompanied with true Piety or Saintship in all that
the snare and ready to be devoured by him yea perhaps he so lulls them asleep that they scarce see or feel it then under pretence of doing more good he inveigles many mens minds to love and seek after more goods and under pretence of crediting the Gospel he leads many to seek to credit themselves in the world and advance their own honor and set their hearts upon earthly dignities and preferments yea and sometimes under pretence of spirituall union and better helpfulness he provokes some men to lust and wantonness oh the subtilty of this wicked one But yet in these things though somewhat sublimated he appears but as a Ruler of the darkness of this world and as the God thereof seeking to glorifie it and snare the Saints by it which also too usually he doth But he is yet more admirably subtle in transforming himself into another guise coming full fraught with spirituall wickednesses in heavenly things He as a subtle Spirit can insinuate pollutions into our Spirits in the things of heaven and where he sees souls taken with such things can meet them in a disguise in the things they are taken with changing his shape and clothing himself with an appearance of light and present himself as a messenger bringer or Angel of light and in this way even at this time also my Brethren he is most busie and doth most hurt unto the Churches and Saints of God when Satan comes to divert Saints from spirituall things he is somewhat more discernable though so sleightfull juggler is he that even there oftentimes he geâ—… beyond them but when he comes and wraps himself in these things and pretends to help them forward in them then he gets the easier attention and entertainment Here then that counsell of the Apostle John is needfull to be taken by us Beloved beleeve not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God I Joh. 4.1 Minde this that Sathan is a Spirit and can be a lying Spirit in the mouth of false prophets yea hath many Spirits as his Angels to send out and do mischief and he can flie up and aspire to heavenly things to be a Teacher and revealer pretendedly of them also so that here the path of the Saints is made very intricate and they have great need of the Spirit of wisdom and understanding to discern their way that they be not cheated Sect. 3. Some observations upon Sathans tempting Christ Mat. 4. LEt us view the members by the head and see what Satan will do to the Saints in this matter by his setting upon Christ the Lord of the Saints Mat. 4. 1. When he saw him an hungry and were there was no bread he tempts him to impatiency of it and to an unusual way to put an end to his hunger by turning stones into bread as if God that led him to a condition wherein he denyed him the ordinary means of refreshing was not able to or would not preserve him by his word without those means or as if he could not be content as well to live upon Gods word without the means when not afforded as upon the means extraordinarily procured And surely Satan is often busie with the Saints to make them impatient in their wilderness of waiting upon God and carries many inordinately after those and those means where they cannot in an ordinary way injoy them as if their life consisted in them and not chiefly in the word of God believed by them and united to them many a Saint he draweth down to a discontentedness for want of visible means in outward things or because he injoys not such an ordinance or means in the time while he is the wilderness as he thirsts or hungers for but God in his providentiall way affordeth not yea by that means sometimes he stirs them up to many irregularities and combustions yea and often when they have though irregularly gotten what their souls thirsted for by assuming power as the Sons of God to make what they have not they take up their rest too much in such enjoyments as if they lived by them and not by the word of God that proceedeth from him But yet behold a more subtle temptation in which is discovered more spirituall wickedness For Christ no sooner had resisted that temptation being stedfast in faith and in the word of God as having it written in his heart but then 2. He sets upon him in another way in which he playes the Angel of light indeed and fight against him with his own weapons tempts him to confidence in God and brings the promise to him which he knew must needs appertain to him he being the Son of God to animate him to step out of the way of God He takes him and carries him upon the top of an high pinacâ—… of the Temple and bids him thence to cast down himself for he being the Son of God nothing could harm him and it is written that God had given his Angels charge over him to keep him and to bear him up by their power that he should not dash his foot against a stone Oh subtle temptation whom would not this deceive but him that holds fast the word and hath it dwelling in him in all wisdom teaching and admonishing him how many souls lifted up on high have been precipated with this suggestion When the Devil turns a preacher and presents Gods promises to further his inticements whom will not his subtilty overthrow from Gods Temple this is a temptation fitted to persons that minde spirituall things persons that look for promises to be given in to them may be easily thus snared How many when they have met in some measure with a baptism unto Christ and some spirituall communication from Christ in which they have tasted of his heavenly gift and the power of the world to come and have rejoyced and made their boast of him and looked upon themselves as called by him and made sons in him and have thought the promises belonged to them yet by such a temptation to confidence with the promises set before them have been perverted from the right way to salvation a temptation taking with high minded pesons filling them with a careless fearlesness of their condition how many doth Satan teach to reason after this manner am not I acquainted with the goodness of God have not I met with such light and knowledge of God am not Jâ—a child of God did not God at such a time and in such a way make me feel and taste of such heavenly vertue eat his spirituall Manna drink his comforts taste of the heavenly gift are not all the promises of God my portion there can I ever fall away or misse of my portion what if I neglect such ordinances and assemblings of our selves together I am above them all and my not waiting on God in them can do me no harm at all all his promises for keeping guiding preservation and everlasting glory are mine and am sure to
us and other we expect and waite not for come come and let go that your fleshly knowledge of and faith and hope in that Jesus Christ the man that was born without you according to the letter and you shall enter into the love with us and shall find all these things that ye there read of done within you you are now exposed to tryals and walk sometime sadly and you are tyed to this and that ordinance but we are past all those things and quite beyond them and we are come to inform you of this our perfect condition in which there is nothing that God reckoneth sin to us nor are we in any bondage but peace and liberty is all our portion You are in hell in darkness but we in heaven in light into which we are come to draw you these and such like are the hony combs that drop from their lips the flatteries with which they entice and lay in wait to deceive the yong and unstable ones boasting of their own peace liberty and high attainments of infallibility and promises of the like betterness to others that will follow them with an undervaluing of others attainments and simplicity of faith that they have in Christ Jesus till they corrupt them from it And indeed whom would not such fair speeches catch and carry away Who would not long to lick at such hony drops and kisse the lips that are so delicious who would not beleeve such fair flourishes when they tell them also they are their experiences especially when they that hear are unsetled and impatient to follow their Jesus through tryals and wait upon him for his glorious happinesse many strong men have fallen by her saith Wisdom and few or none that turn in to her are able to get out again but are so in wrapped in her snares and find so much pleasantness in her deceits have such strong fancies and delusions of joy peace liberty heaven happiness here already God giving them up thereto with such a free run to serve the flesh too that they follow on still as an oxe to the slaughter and as a fool to the stocks till a dart strike through their liver for though this strange womans guests are in the depths of hell yet they are not sensible of it they know it not till Christ by the brightness of his coming and breath of his mouth shall awake them and fill their souls with horror This is the way by which they beguile the simple and unstable souls colouring over their words with here and there a snatch from the Scriptures as Satan also did in his temptations and confessed Christ for his own ends and purposes though in their hearts they slight the Scriptures in generall picking out here and there a line which they wrest and pervert to their own destruction as they will alledge that there is no new thing under the Sun to prove that Christ shall never come otherwise then as he doth come daily and was never otherwise 〈◊〉 childe and weak but as he is at present they will tell you that Paul saith henceforth know we Christ no more after the flesh to prove that the beleeving on Christ as he was made flesh dyed rose and ascended c. is but a fleshly faith and knowledge of him and to justifie themselves for their not so beleeving they will alledge that Flesh and blood shall not inherite the Kingdom of God to prove that Christs body was not taken up into heaven that body which he bade his disciples handle and see that he had flesh and bone in and to prove that our bodies shall not rise again and be made glorious and immortall as also to the same purpose they alledge that the body returns again to the dust and the Spirit to God that gave it they will bring that Christ in you the hope of glory not as the Apostle preacht it but to prove that there is no being of Christ without and distinct from men and that Christ is nothing else then some spirituall frame within and many such like abuses of the Scripture they do make to perswade to the belief of their assertions such as yet bear some reverence to the authority of Scripture and indeed some of them in their Writings and discourses begin with very taking considerations and some true speeches arguing that they have met with spiritual light but have been led away from or perverted in it through Satans subtilty they will speak against a notional Faith and against idle speculations of Christ without power and urge that Christ must be in men and they conformed to Christ and partake of the holy Unction c. and all this way fair and good but then with them or at the close of them they usher in these perverted strains of slighting Scriptures Ordinances Faith in Christ crucified c. yet with such subtilty that there needs a good measure of spiritual understanding and good vigilancy to descry them for by reason of those preceding Truths they begin withall many are unaware caught and taken yea they would deceive if possible the very Elect. Such is the way of the whorish woman such her Panders the messengers of Satan transforming themselves into Minsters of Righteousness to pervert the Passengers towards Wisdoms House into their deceptions but now what is the danger of being snared by them and of falling in to this temptation is nextly to be spoken Sect. 7. Of the danger that attends mens falling into this Temptation THe danger that attends the being taken iâ— these snares or rather the end and issue 〈◊〉 such men as are overcome thereby is altogetheâ— inexpressible but those expressions of it that thâ— holy Ghost hath left us upon Record are such aâ— may well affright us from once listening theretoâ— and fill the hearts spirits of with those inuttâ—rable horror that are guilty thereof The rewarâ— or Wages of sin in general is death Rom. 6.23 and the ruine of all that know not God and thaâ— disobey the Gospel is exceeding horrible viz. to be punished with everlasting destruction from thâ— presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.9 to be debarred for ever from the enjoyment of the presence of God in which is fulness of joy and where are rivers of pleasure for evermore Psal 16,11 and to be shut up in perpetual misery and darkness but yet the expressions of their ruine and misery that run into these snares of Satan are such as evidently assign to them a first portion the holy Ghost being very full and frequent in setting forth the nature and consequents of these kinde of sinnings with answerable aggravations of their punishments for he tells us that these persons that run into these snares do not onely neglect a greater salvation then any formerly in the Law propounded Heb. 6.2,3 but also they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame Heb. 6.5,6 He was once crucified for
goodness anâ—… through them believed sometime fell awâ—… when tempted in the withdrawings of theâ— though they see the same mighty works thâ—… others did that abide faithful the reason of was because the Word was not mixed with faiâ—… in them they believed when and because they 〈◊〉 so great things but blessed is he that believes 〈◊〉 seeth not as our Saviour said to Thomas 〈◊〉 when they that believed because of their sighâ— came to want sights their faith failed and theâ— were easily drawn aside into rebellion a coâ—… trary sense begat contrary thoughts in theâ—… they being led by Sense and not by the Worâ—… which abide the same without alteration on thâ—… otherside Abraham who believed not according to what was in his sense for there all thing went contrary to what he believed for but aâ—… cording to what was spoken gave glory to Goâ—… and abid stedfast knowing that however Goâ—… dealings altered as to his sense yet the Word 〈◊〉 God altered not and so his faith being buâ—… upon that abid stedfast and he obtained 〈◊〉 honour to be called the friend of God And truâ—… it s to be minded that divers who have turneâ— aside from the Faith of Christ were such as hâ—… not their faith and joy springing from what thâ—… Word recorded but from their sense and setting yea sometimes fancies and conceits wheâ—… they have seen and felt or fancied something of of God then they have believed but when God â—hath withdrawn again then they have been All â—…mort and not having the Word within them to support them and lead them to a patient waiting for his counsels they have readily â—istened to any doctrine that promises less trials and more sensible satisfaction and so into such as â—…ve have spoken of whence they are called Sensual as not having exercising and living by Faith â—ut rejoycing and living upon and impatiently â—oveting after matters of sense 3. Such also as are high minded and puffed â—p with conceits of their own attainments These thinking themselves out of the reach of all danger presume to neglect the way of God to â—eight Ordinances and Fellowships of the Breâ—hren praying and watchfulness and matter not â—o hear any doctrine accompany themselves with any people throwing themselves from the â—inacle of the Temple in confidence that the Angels of God shall keep them and so they are â—or their tempting God justly punished of God â—…y false Angels hurrying them into strong deâ—sions as was before noted 4. They that are curious and unsober in their â—esire of Knowledge and trusting to their own â—apacities and abilities undertake to pry into all â—ecrets looking into things which they have â—ot seen rashly puffed up with a carnal minde hese soaring up above their bounds and goiâ—… tbeyond the proportion and measure given theâ— are often met withall and mounted up 〈◊〉 Satan till they fall into his * 3 Tim. 3.6 The word there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signâ—… as well fault as punishment fault and condeâ—nation 5. Others not unlike the former through stability have itching ears and are desirous novelties and not abiding in and cleaving what they have heard and received of God 〈◊〉 to try conclusions and rather to taste someâ—… of every way then to drink well of any thoâ—… what they have met with God and his Spiritâ— 6. Others through leaning upon the wisdâ—… parts holiness professions of men having soâ—… in admiration and judging them as infallibiliâ—… when they see such persons holy humble â—…rent and well gifted in the eye of man or 〈◊〉 make great boasts of themselves and their attâ—ments speaking great swelling words to be gâ—… in such wayes then they leaning upon them 〈◊〉 with them being built more whatever thâ—… pretend of ceasing from man upon their proâ—…sions holiness parts attainments then uponâ— Word of God it self held forth to them Korah Dathan and Abiram being men of nown famous in the Congregation drew them company into Rebellion with them because likely many admired and leant upon them So these such a one say they of such parts gifts abilities experience are of this or that minde sure they cannot be deceived but they regard not whether it be according to the Word of God and held forth in and suitable to the Scriptures but seeing such imbrace it they follow with them and will stand and fall with them though into distruction forgetting that the Apostle Paul adviseth that though He himself an Apostle or Angel from heaven should preach beside the Gospel already delivered they should be held as execrable and accursed Gal. 1.8,9 Alas though these see many things in those they lean on below either Paul or an heavenly Angel yet their parts gifts profession of experience c. is such as they will venture soul and body upon them And no marvel if when the Stars fall that they steer their course by they split upon the Shelves of Temptation and Delusion that are steered by them 7. Ambitious persons that desire to be or to be thought to be above others and to attain to the highest steps that any boast of these reaching out after greatness sometimes make more haste then good speed and so swell beyond the due bounds of Truth that they fall into gross error 8. Some also through Coveteousness and such like evil affections nourished by them easily imbrace such things and God justly leave them thereunto as may least cross their getting or keeping worldly principles and so if they can meet with a profession that will promise as large or larglier then any and yet wil baâ—… them all attendance in Ordinances and sparâ— them more time for their earthly imployments and not indanger them to sufferings be cause they may suit with any thing they wilâ— not be hardly perswaded thereunto but presently strike hands with it what ere it coâ—… them as to their utmost happiness These anâ— such like are in danger to be snared Aâ— also 9. All that love to live as they list and to follow their own ungodly lusts such as these are oftentimes with those temptations turned asidâ— and taken but yet not all at once they go usâ—ally gradatim as it were by steps to the depth of Satan 1. At first its but this that ordinances anâ— poor carnall things and not only to be liveâ— above but without also and it s a state of moâ—… pefection to sit loose to them and disregarâ— them 2. Then from that the Scriptures are poâ—… low things an inky Divinity a dead letter full of fallacies and uncertainties and contradictions not much to be heeded especially according to what they say in the letter every liâ—… must have another meaning then the letter holds forth to us 3. Then they go yet higher and say and beleeve that the doctrine of Christs death and Resurrection ascension priesthood and mediation as things done without us is but a beginning fit for novices not to be dwelt in but to be left again and forsaken
hath been the same is now and what shall be now hath been and God will require that which is driven away Their mistake and abuse of which is easily discerned if we hold fast to the testimony of the holy Ghost in other places which contradict their inferences from it and if we also minde the scope of the Preacher whereabout he speaketh viz. that his speech is about the vanity and vexation of spirit that is in accrues to men from worldly natural things and actions things sub sole under the Sun or under the Government of it and then his meaning is plain that there is a constant tenor in the nature of natural things at all times the same species and properties in those species not the same individuals except they will affirm that they themselves have been men and women born nursed up and lived in the world in times past even in Solomons time or in the beginning of the world as well as now and if so I would they would call to mind what they saw done then and help to perfect the History of the world but that 's evidently false David and Solomon are not now living under the Sun but the same kinds of things there are men now as then and sin and vanity in them now as then trees and plants c. and the same common affections of creatures now as then the same weakness vanity wickedness and vexatiousness now as before and in that regard there is nothing new no alteration of the nature of things under the Sun in their natural actions and conditions But this is horribly besides the business of Solomons discourse to say the earth upon which the trees and plants now grow is as well void and without form now as it was in the first day of its creation and yet more to say Christ hath come no otherwise in the flesh then he did in Solomons time nor suffered otherwise then there he had done or that there shall be no other rising from the dead then was then or visible coming of Christ in Glory and to Judgement and indeed these are things super solem above the ordering of the Sun Beside neither says he there shall be no new thing but he speaks in the present time in which he lived there is no new thing The Prophet Jeremy that lived after him says The Lord will create a new thing in the earth a woman shall compass a man Jer. 31.22 and sure that was in its time a new thing that a Virgin conceived and brought forth without knowledge of any man yea God hath said that He will make all things new and therefore its evident that their enlarging of the Scripture beyond its scope and expression is very false and gross yea that they are of the number of those men that Peter speaks of The mockers that should say Where is the promise of his coming that is in effect He shall never come again for since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue in like state Yea yet further we may retort this Scripture upon themselves as to their denial of the glorious coming of Christ and his raising up the dead bodies of men departed that being rather here affirmed for if that that is shall be and God requires that that is past or driven away then that body of theirs that is shall be and that Christ that was on the earth shall be again and though their bodies that are dead and are as it were driven away yet God will require them again and judge them for what is past and what men have violently thrust or driven away But this is a safe Rule for thee to go by that no Scripture is rightly interpreted when it s interpreted point blank contradictory to the sayings of other Scriptures about those things whereunto they are interpreted Like to their abuses of these and other places is that that they quote Col. 2.20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ to the rudiments of the world why then as living in the world are ye subject to Ordinances to shew that they are above the Ordinances of God and need not regard them whereas the Apostle after explains himself to speak of the Ordinances or Documents of the world for he adds according to the Commandments and Documents of men and that they have a shew of wisdom in wil-worship and not of the Ordinances of God which who so is not subject to is not subject unto God by whom and whose authority they are appointed yea the Apostle himself commends that very people for their Order as well as for their stedfastness in faith ver 5. and exhorts them to admonish one another and that in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs and to continue in prayer and thanksgiving Chap. 3.16 and 4.2 c. which are Ordinances of God and therefore sure he cannot rightly be understood in the other place to tax them for being subject to them nay if that was a fault in them then should they not be subject to the Apostles teaching and admonition they being also Ordinances of Gods appointing 1 Tim. 2.7 And to give but one instance more They in like manner some of them abuse that saying in Col. 1.28 Christ in you the hope of glory the meaning whereof is this that Christ as he was made of a woman and made under the Law and as he died rose ascended is glorified and appears in the presence of God for us eyed minded believed on and understood is that that springs up in the believing soul hope of future glory whereas other men either have no hope of glory or have their hope in other things the believers hope is in and from Christ as he hath done such great things for him and is made of God such a Saviour to him that I say as it s known believed and minded begets and maintains that hope in him In which regard also viz. as he is in his Knowledge Faith Love c. he is said to be in him as also in regard of his Spirit or Divine Vertue and Power in and through that knowledge and faith working in him But this I say some abuse to this end to perswade men that Christ is no otherwise existent but in the hearts of men hath no real spiritual glorified body in the heavens which is a meer strained and erroneous collection for if that were so he should be rather the fruition of glory in them then the hope of it onely for the fruition of glory is in the believers having Christ really and personally existent with him 1 Thes 4.17 And surely when Christ shall descend from heaven and take up the dead Saints being first raised to be ever with him he shall not descend or come out of his peoples hearts and leave them in regard of his nhabitation of them nor needed Stephen so stedfastly to have looked up into heaven to have seen him in his heart Acts 7.55 nor would there have been any such
he then conversing with them and instructing them and as he was so doing he was taken up out of their sight into heaven and they stood gazing up after him Luke 24.51 Acts 1.9 which things are not applicable to Christ within them Again it s said He shall come not in but with his Saints Jude 14. accompanied with them and they shall be all caught up to meet him together in the air 1 Thes 4.16,17 But in the spiritual coming of Christ in the Saints there is no such being caught up into the air there to meet him besides that thought denieth and destroyeth the Humanity of Christ and all its unspeakable glory upon its â—nexpressible sufferings for it springeth from such a conceit that there is no spiritual glorified body of Christ for him to come in but onely the mystical his people and it leadeth to the denial of all that glory that the Saints shall have in their bodies by and after the resurrection of them yea then we destroy the faith which witnesseth that even that that is gone up to heaven from the earth and is no longer in the world with his Disciples but is contained in heaven shall at the time of the Restitution of all things descend from thence and come again even Christ in that his sometime dead but now raised and glorified body to judge the world in righteousness and that then they that have here suffered and been put to death for righteousness sake and for their testimony to Christ shall be raised up again out of all their death and be by his glorious and divine power presented alive set free from all their mortality and corruption that now cleaveth to them and receive the great and full reward of all that patient waiting upon God and warring against the Beast the World Satan and Sin which untill then is laid up and reserved in heaven for them Acts 3.13,14,21 Then shall it be that they shall have no more pain sorrow crying or death but shall be compleatly like him even to Christ whom they have honored and whom then they shall see as he is and not onely have glory but appear in glory to all with him but not till then as some wrongfully understand or apply the things so spoken Thence need of Patience and Faith throughout all the dayes of warfare and therein to follow the steps of the Fathers who all died in Faith not having received the Promises for indeed God hath so ordered for the full performance harvest and full possession of these great Promises that one Saint of Christ shall not prevent another Abraham and Isaac shall not be perfect without us nor we without them the then living shall not prevent or be before them that long since are faln asleep and as to their bodies are dead Heb. 11.40 1 Thes 4.15 Therefore also they are grosly erroneous and to be avoided as destroyers of the faith who say that the Resurrection is now made or is already past and the day of the Lord even of that his discent from and coming in the clouds of heaven so much spoken of in the Scriptures is already come to them 2 Tim. 2.17 and they are in glory and have already as much fulness of it as is ever to be had by any These are the mockers fore-spoken of that contradict the tenour of the Apostles Doctrine These are of them that say they are Apostles but are not but are found to be lyars Revel 2.2 And therefore thou who ever thou art that art called to and believâ—st in Christ fly thou from them and gird up the loyns of thy mind to waite with long-suffering and patience for the great Harvest the salvation to be revealed at the great appearance of the Lord Jesus and the resurrection of the just knowing that those that deny these things are of the same strain with the ancient Hereticks long since condemned by the Apostles and given over by them to Satan for blaspheming but mind thou the faithful and true sayings of God and wait for them offering up thy very body also a sacrifice to God holy and acceptable by Jesus Christ to do and suffer his Will knowing that thy labour shall not be vain in the Lord thou shalt receive it in a far better state then thou layst it down in for him and therein also the reward of all those things here wrought and suffered for his Name Sect. 4. Of the Resurrection BUt because it hath been the old trick of Satan and a master-piece of his subtilties to stagger and subvert men as much as he is able about the Resurrection And because it is so fundamental a point and so properly Christian that the denial thereof overthrows the whole Christian Faith and Relâ—…ion and makes it worth nothing therefore I shall yet add something further for thy help against the cunning sleights of those instruments of the wicked One which are now as busie as ever to pervert thee herein That the dead shall rise the Scriptures are so full and plain and particularly the confutation of the Sadduces by our Saviour himself and the Apostle Pauls discourse about it to the Corinthians that there seems to be no possibility of denying it by any that pretend credit to the Scriptures and yet some such do it by eluding and perverting those Scriptures to other senses or other Scriptures that they conceive make against it as others do it upon grounds of Reason as they conceive against the Scripture I shall say something to either of them The Scriptures they pervert are such as that of Solomon The body goes to the dust and the spirit to God that gave it Eccles 12.7 which is nothing it all so much as in appearance or shew against the Resurrection of the body all those that plead for and believe the Resurrection of the body manimously affirming that the body must go to the dust the spirit or breath be gathered up again to God which is all that the Text says but we believe too that they that sleep in the dust of the earth even the dead bodies shall arise again out of the dust and both bodies and spirits united be presented before the Judgement Seat of Christ to receive the things done in the body whether good or evil Joh. 5.29 Isai 26.19 2 Cor. 5.10 which that Scripture hath no shew of a denial of nor that that one thing befalleth a man and a beast as the one dyeth so dyeth the other c. Eccless 3.19 for besides that Solomon there doth but tell us what he said in his heart not what God said to him we deny not that as to the bodily death men and beasts are both subject thereto but we say that they are not alike as to Resurrection nor doth Solomon either speak of or deny the Resurrection in that saying he onely speaking of what befalls men in the flesh here not of what their state shall be for ever hereafter That which they most insist on is