and they have power in themselves to believe Ask now the sinner that hath been convinced of sin by the holy Spirit and Word of God because he believes not and is commanded to believe 1 Joh 3.23 I say ask that convinced sinner if it hath power of himself to believe or if Faith in Christ be of our selves or of our good works or of holy duties and he will tell you No Nay Nay Faith in Christ is not of our selves Jesus Christ himself is the Author and Finisher of Faith Heb. 12.2 It is not of our works but it is the Faith of the Operation of God Col. 2.12 It is the exceeding greatness of God's mighty Power that doth make the soul of a sinful sinner convinced of sin because he believes not willing and able to believe in Christ Eph. 1.19 20. Now saith this convinced Sinner I know and am persuaded that whosoever believes in Christ shall be saved and I know and am convinced that I ought to believe in Christ and it is my sin that I do not believe in him Yea I am also persuaded upon Scripture grounds that if I did believe in Christ I should not perish but have everlasting Life But this is my impotency and here is my misery I cannot believe in Christ of my self I know not which way to begin to believe I could do something materially about the works of the Law though but weakly and insufficiently but I can do nothing about obedience of Faith according to the Gospel It is such a Mystery as I am very ignorant of Faith is the Gift of God and unless he give it me I perish Now is the sinner convinced of his sin of unbelief This is God's workmanship upon a sinful sinner's conscience but this is not the whole work of Conviction therefore God proceeds in this work and convinceth the sinner by his Spirit and Word of Righteousness Joh. 16.10 shewing the sinner whilst he goes about to establish his own Righteousness by the works of the Law and by performing those duties that the Law requireth he maketh void as much as in him lyes the Righteousness of God by Faith in the Gospel Rom. 10.3.4 5 6. and thereby convinceth the sinner 1. That all his own Righteousnesses are as menstruous Raggs Isa 64.6 our most holy duties and performances are polluted and defiled with sin and God might abhor to accept an Offering at our hand did not Christ offer up his Incense with our Sacrifices they could not come up to God Rev. 8.3 4 both our prayers and our persons are accepted only and alone in and thorow Jesus Christ 2. That Sinners must be covered with the Robe of Christ's Righteousness and the Garments of his Salvation Isa 61.10 He is the LORD our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 And Christ is made of God unto us Wisdom Righteousness c. 1 Cor. 1.30 This Righteousness of Christ is that skirt which God casteth over the Sinners Soul when he lyes in his Blood to cover his nakedness Ezek. 16.6 8. 3. That Christ's Righteousness is the Righteousness of God by Faith Rom. 3.21 22. which Righteousness the Apostle Paul did so much prize and desire to be found in Phil. 3.8 9. And now the convinced Sinner will say with holy Job chap. 9. v. 21. If I justifie my self mine own mouth shall condemn me though I were perfect yet would I not know my Soul This is also God's workmanship upon a sinful Sinners Conscience But yet this is not the whole work of Conviction for when God hath by his holy Spirit and Word convinced the Sinner of his state of unbelief and reproved him for sin because he believes not And when God hath also convinced him that his own Righteousness is as filthy Raggs and that he must submit to the Righteousness of God and take Christ's Righteousness by Faith unto Justification of life Then God proceeds on in the work of Conviction and reproves or convinceth the Sinner of Judgment Joh. 16.11 And this God doth by causing the Sinner to know 1. That there is a Day of Judgment called the Eternal Judgment Heb. 6.2 and the Judgment of the great DAY of God Jude vers 6. 2. That All shall appear and stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ Rom. 14.10 1 Cor. 5.10 And every one shall then give accompt of himself unto God and shall receive a just Reward of all that he hath done in the Flesh Rom. 2 5-13 and Rev. 22.12 and Matth. 16.27 3. That the Prince of this world is judged and therefore none of the Children of Disobedience in whom the God of this World now worketh shall escape the Righteous Judgment of God Rom. 2.3 5 6. for the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge both the quick and the dead at his Appearing and his Kingdom 2 Tim. 4.1 shall come from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel who shall be punished with everlasting destruction c. 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. And the Spirit and Word of God doth witness and testifie to the Sinner's Conscience that he must come to Judgment as Solomon told the young man Eccles 11.9 Know thou that for all these things or sins God will bring thee to Judgment And now the sinful Sinner is throughly convinced and this is the first part of God's workmanship upon him in order unto his Conversion and everlasting Salvation And I desire the Reader to take notice that the want of a thorow work of Conviction is the cause of the want of a sound and saving work of Conversion One Reason why there are so few true Converts in this our Day and Generation is because the Ministers of the Gospel do not labour in the Word and Doctrine of a thorow Gospel-Conviction The Reason why so few Hearers do believe in Christ is because they were never thorowly convinced of the sin of unbelief How many Herod-like Hearers are there in and about London Mark 6.20 How many stony-hearted Hearers follow and flock after the Preachers of the Gospel who hear the Word with Joy believe for a time Luk. 8.13 But when the time of the Tryal of their Faith comes by sufferings and persecutions then they fall away Matth. 13.20 21. And you have the Reason of their falling away expressed by both the Evangelists They had no Root in themselves that is to say They had not Christ in their Souls to be the Root of their Faith Col. 2.6 7. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him and stablished in the Faith Faith rooted in Christ will stand out all Storms of Temptation and Persecution it will indure all fiery Tryals but Faith without Christ will fall away And the Spirit tells us expresly that some who made a great and glorious profession of Faith will depart from the Faith in the latter daies 1 Tim. 4.1 because they have not
THE VVORLD that Now is AND THE VVORLD that is to Come Or the First and Second Coming of Jesus Christ Wherein several Prophecies not yet fulfilled are Expounded By HAN KNOLLYS A Servant of Jesus Christ Rev. 1.19 LONDON Printed by Tho. Snowden An. 1681. TO THE READER Christian Reader SO needful is the true Knowledge of God and Jesus Christ so absolutely conducing unto Man's Eternal Well-being John 17.3 as whereby alone true Happiness is to be attained To that End in the former Part of this little Treatise is set forth First What the LORD Jesus Christ hath done and suffered for the Salvation of Sinners Secondly What HE doth work in them by his holy Spirit and Word in Order unto their Everlasting Salvation Thirdly What kind of Worship Churches Ministers and Ordinances the LORD Jesus Christ hath instituted and appointed under the Gospel And in the latter Part of it is briefly and plainly declared That there is a WORLD to Come That the LORD Jesus Christ will come personally visibly and suddenly That he will set up his Kingdom will Reign Raise the Dead and Judge both the Quick and the Dead 2 Tim. 4.1 At his Appearing his Kingdom It may be some of all sorts of Readers will judge and Censure me for one thing or another but with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by Man's Judgment I only entreat the Judicious Reader to search the Scriptures and thereby to prove all things and hold fast that which is sound I pretend not to Infallibility I know but in part yet I am willing to impart that which I do know unto others that are searching after Knowledge and Understanding And I pray that God will fill you that Read what I have written with the Knowledge of his Will Revealed in his written WORD That you may prove what is the perfect Will of God But if any man seem to be contentious we have no such Custom neither the Churches of God Nor will I contend with any one otherwise than the Apostle Jude exhorts in the third verse of his Epistle That we should earnestly contend for the Faith that was once delivered unto the Saints not by vain Disputings and Janglings but by sober Assertions and clear Proofs of Scripture Isa 8.20 Shew me friendly Reader wherein I have erred from the Truth and it will be as precious Balm and I shall esteem thee my friend indeed that will endeavour to convert me from the Errour of my Way if i◠be done in a Spirit of Love Nay if any one shall do it in another frame of spirit I shall thankfully acknowledge his kindness that will endeavour to Convince me to Reprove me yea although he should Reproach me and I would bear it patiently and humbly acknowledge my mistake And I will not obstinately hold fast any Errour after Conviction through the Grace of God for I love the Truth as it is in Jesus if my heart doth not deceive me more than my self or my esteem in the World Thy Souls Friend Han. Knollys From my Study in Bartholomew-Lane August 3. 1681. THE VVORLD That now is THE holy Scripture of Truth speaketh of three Worlds viz. The WORLD that was 2 Pet. 3.6 The WORLD that now is called this WORLD Mat. 12.32 the WORLD to come Heb. 2.5 The WORLD that now is is the Subject of the first Part of this Treatise And the WORLD to come shall be the subject of the latter Part thereof The principal matter of which we intend to treat touching the WORLD that now is doth concern the first Coming of Christ into this WORLD when the WORD was made Flesh and dwelt among us Joh. 1.14 The chief matter of the latter Part of this Treatise doth concern the Second Coming of Christ in the WORLD to come Wherein there will be New Heavens a New Earth and a New Jerusalem and all things will be new-created Rev. 21 1-5 CHAP. 1. Wherein our general Position is propounded proved and explained § 1. The Position propounded THat the Chief WORK of Jesus Christ in his first Coming into the WORLD was to save sinners to build up his own House the Church of the Living God and to institute all Gospel-Ordinances necessary for his Disciples to worship God in Spirit and in Truth § 2. The Position proved 1. That our LORD Jesus Christ came into the WORLD to save sinners Luk. 5.32 I came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance Matth. 18.11 For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost And 1 Tim. 1.15 Christ Jesus came into the WORLD to save Sinners 2. That our LORD Jesus Christ being come in the Flesh did build up his own House the Church of God Heb. 3 -- 6. For this Man Christ Jesus was counted worthy of more glory than Moses in as much as He who builded the House hath more honour than the House Moses was faithful in all his House as a Servant but Christ as a Son over his own House the Church of God 1 Tim. 3.15 3. That our Lord Jesus Christ hath instituted all Gospel-Ordinances necessary for his Disciples to worship God in Spirit and in Truth 1 Cor. 11.1 2. Be ye followers of me even as I am of Christ And keep the Ordinances as I delivered them unto you Joh. 4.21 22 23 24. The true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth § 3. The Position explained The first part of our general Position to be explained is That our LORD Jesus Christ came into the WORLD to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 Now the Method I shall observe in the Explanation of this part of our Position shall be to shew 1. What kind of Saviour Christ is 2. What Salvation Sinners may have by Jesus Christ And 3. How Sinners are saved by Jesus Christ And of these in order First What kind of Saviour is Jesus Christ I answer 1. The LORD Jesus Christ is an Almighty Saviour As there is none other Act. 4.12 so there needs none other Saviour None can pull a Soul out of Christ's hand Joh. 10.27 -- 30. Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God-Man Emmanuel God with us Matth. 1.23 Jehovah our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 The Mighty God Isa 9.6 The Almighty Rev. 1.8 The true God and Eternal Life 1 Joh. 5.20 There is no Saviour but God Isa 43.3 11. I even I am Jehovah and beside me there is no Saviour And Jude v. 25. To the only wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power both now and ever Amen It is absolutely necessary unto Salvation to know and believe That the LORD Jesus Christ is very God as well as very Man So the Virgin Mary believed when she said My Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour Luk. 1.46 47. And so did all the holy Apostles and Saints believe and confess Rom. 9.5 2
him Psal 50.21 and makes him possess the sins of his youth Job 13.26 God doth by the Scripture as in a Glass give the sinner a sight of his sinful Nature shews him the sinfulness of his sins Rom. 7.13 God doth by his Spirit and Word convince the sinners conscience of his Transgressions against his holy Law and against the Gospel of his Grace The holy Spirit ordinarily by the Ministry of the Word convinceth the sinner of his Original corruption tells him that every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Jam. 1.14 15. The wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 The soul that sins shall dye and also convinceth him of his Actual Transgressions to wit his sins of Omission and his sins of Commission both in doing that which God hath forbidden in his holy Word and in not doing that which he hath commanded or not as he commandeth it to be done God convinceth the sinners conscience of his sinning against Light against Checks of Conscience and many good Motions of the holy Spirit and shews him how he hath sinned against the mercies patience and long-sufferings of God and how he hath sinned under God's chastisements corrections and righteous Judgments and that neither the Word of God nor his Rod hath wrought Repentance in him nor caused him to turn from his sinful courses The sinful sinner being under this great work of Conviction of Conscience begins to see and apprehend the vileness of his Nature and the sinfulness of his sins to be such so many and so great that he trembles and is afraid of Death and Damnation he begins to have some sense and feeling in his conscience of the wrath of God and fears he shall dye in his sins and go to Hell and be damned to eternity Now the terrours of the Almighty are in his conscience his heart is filled with horrour the sting of sin hath wounded his Spirit and a wounded Spirit who can bear Prov. 18.14 and being pricked in the heart cryes out What shall I do Acts 2.37 I am a sinful sinner a vile sinner a lost undone perishing sinner Woe 's me that ever I was born I am a damnable wicked wretch my heart is deceitful and desperately wicked Ah my vain thoughts my vile affections my evil concupiscence my sinful lusts Alas alas my idle words and blasphemies and my ungodly life and sinful conversation Woe and alas the deceitfulness of sin hath so hardened my heart that I cannot Repent and I have been so accustomed to do evil that I know not how to Reform and amend my life and forsake my sins and if I go on in my former sinful courses I shall certainly be damned Hereupon the sinful sinner sets upon Reformation saith to his sinful companions as David did Psal 6.8 Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity And saith to his Lusts as Ephraim did to his Idols Hos 14.8 What have I to do any more with sinful lusts and pleasures Now the convinced sinner resolves to leave his sins that he fears else will damn his soul and now he begins to perform some holy Duties he will hear Sermons and read the holy Scriptures and good Books and pray And it may be the convinced sinner will mourn for his sins and humble himself as Ahab did and Reform some of his evil courses And by this Reformation Humiliation mourning for his sins and performing some holy duties the sinner may have some calm and feel some quiet in his conscience for a season and begin to hope all will be well with him until the Reigning power of sin that hath yet the dominion over him prevail against him and he being yet a servant of sin and free from Righteousness as the Apostle speaks Rom. 6. v. 20. yieldeth willing and ready obedience to his own lusts that inticeth him to sin and when his lust hath conceived and brought forth sin then his conscience accuseth him and Satan now begins to suggest that there is no hope of pardon nor salvation for him Now his latter end is worse than his beginning and therefore the Devil tells him It is in vain for him to pray any more or to hear any more or to perform any holy duties And now the convinced sinful sinner judgeth his Soul's state and condition to be worse than ever it was he hath so many dreadful Temptations he is so filled with blasphemous Thoughts that he begins to be a terrour to himself and is tempted to chuse strangling rather than life he is so tormented in his conscience and so tempted by Satan and terrified with fears of Hell He sees now the Law curseth him Gal. 3.10 and the Gospel judgeth him 2 Thes 1.9 And he is made to receive the sentence of Condemnation in himself is made to read it in the written Word of God Joh. 3.18 He that believeth not is condemned already Now God goes on with his work of Conviction which he had before begun in the sinful sinners Conscience and sends his holy Spirit to convince and reprove him of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment Joh. 16.8 9 10. And the Spirit by that Scripture Joh. 3.18 or some other Scripture to that purpose doth thoroughly convince the sinner that although his pride passion worldliness uncleanness prophaness his lying stealing swearing drinking whoring or any one or other of his sins deserves eternal Death Rom. 6.23 Yet that sin for which the wrath of God abideth on him and for which he is by the written Word of God condemned already is his great sin of unbelief Joh. 3.18.36 and Heb. 3.11 18. God hath sworn that those who do not believe shall not enter into his Rest that is into Heaven Heb. 3.18 19. Take notice Reader that in Conviction of sin because we believe not the holy Spirit doth by the Word convince the Sinner First That he is an unbeliever and hath not obtained the precious Faith of God's Elect whereby the Soul is united unto Christ Eph. 4. v 13. adopted the Child of God Gal. 3.26 justified and all its sins pardoned and at peace with God Rom. 5.1 and now the convinced sinner sees he is without God without Christ and without Faith Secondly That he must believe or he cannot be saved Mar. 16.15 16. He that believeth not shall be damned His praying mourning reforming though they are good in themselves and are his duty yet the doing these or any other yea all other holy duties without this precious Faith in Christ will not cannot save him and now the sinner is convinced that there is an indispensible necessity of his believing in Christ for salvation Thirdly That he cannot believe Faith is not of our selves it is not of Works Eph. 2.8 9. They err not knowing the Scriptures nor the holy Will of God revealed therein who say that men may believe if they will
own unwillingness Thou wilt not come to Christ this Jesus Christ complained of John 5.40 But ye will not come to me that ye might have life Ah! woe's me saith the poor lost sinner If I were so deeply humbled for my sins if I had a soft broken penitent heart if I could get victory over my corruptions then I should be willing to come to Christ for pardon and for salvation but these things hinder me and discourageth me from coming to Christ I am ashamed to come I am afraid to come I confess I am unwilling to come yet know God and Christ is willing that thou shouldest come Mat. 11.28 And ere long the Day of God's Power will come upon thee and then thou wilt be willing Psal 110.3 Thy People shall be willing in the Day of thy Power Secondly I exhort you to believe in Christ When the Jaylor asked Paul and Silas and said Sirs What must I do to be saved They said Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Acts 16.30 31. This is that glad Tydings of the Gospel which Christ hath commanded and commissioned his Ministers to Preach unto every creature Mark 16.15 16. He that believes shall be saved but he that believes not shall be damned There is an absolute necessity of believing in Jesus Christ unto salvation for without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Alas saith a poor sinner I cannot Believe I know not how to Believe what shall I do to Believe I answer Faith is not of our selves it is not of works but it is the Gift of God Eph. 2.8 9 10. The Faith of the Operation of God Col. 2.12 It is the exceeding greatness of his mighty power Eph. 1.19 20. The same Almighty Power of God that raised Jesus Christ from the dead must raise the soul of a sinner from the death of sin unto the life of Righteousness The soul being dead in trespasses and sins must be quickened together with Christ and raised together with Christ Eph. 2.5 6. Thirdly I exhort you to Repent of your sins Repentance is also the Gift of God Act. 11.18 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto life Evangelical Repentance is a godly sorrow for sin or a sorrowing for sin after a godly manner 2 Cor. 7.9 10. For godly sorrow worketh Repentance to salvation c. which Gospel-Repentance consists of confession of sins to God contrition and mourning for sins before God and turning from sins unto God with our whole heart and with our whole man in Spirit Soul and Body And I do exhort sanctified Believers to prepare themselves to leave this world and to enjoy the world to come Noah did prepare himself all the time he was building the Ark by being a just and perfect man and walking with God Gen. 6.9 for the Ending Time of this world draws near And the End of our natural life is to us the End of this World And that we may be prepared we ought to dye daily to sin to self and to this evil world And we must live to God live God in Christ Jesus Titus 2.11 12 13 14. For the Grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works THE WORLD to Come CHAP. I. Wherein the General Position is propounded proved explained 1. The Position propounded THere is a World to come wherein will be the New Heavens a New Earth and the New Jerusalem also the Kingdom of Christ and his Saints the Resurrection of the Dead and the Eternal Judgment which World to come will begin when the LORD Jesus Christ shall come again from Heaven 2. The Position proved The holy Scripture of Truth doth Testifie 1. That there is a WORLD to come Matth. 12.32 But whosoever speaketh against the holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven him neither in this World neither in the World to come Eph. 1.20 21. Not only in this world but also in that which is to come And Heb. 2.5 For unto the Angels hath he not put in subjection that WORLD even that to come 2. That then the LORD Jesus Christ will come again from Heaven Phil. 3.20 For our conversation is in Heaven from whence also we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ Heb. 9.28 And to them that look for him shall he appear the Second Time c. 1 Thes 3.13 At the coming of our LORD Jesus Christ with all his Saints 3. That then there will be the New Heavens and a New Earth and the New Jerusalem yea and all things new Isa 65.17 I create New Heavens and a New Earth 2. Pet. 3.13 We according to his promise look for New Heavens and a New Earth c. Rev. 21.1 2. And I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth And I John saw the holy City the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven c. And Heb. 12.22 23 24. The heavenly Jerusalem 4. That the LORD Jesus Christ and his Saints shall have a Kingdom and shall Reign on Earth Dan. 7.13 14. 27. And there was given to him a Kingdom Zech. 14.9 And the LORD shall be King of all the Earth Dan. 7.27 And the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High c. Rev. 5. 9 10. And thou hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall Reign on Earth Also Rev. 11.15 20.4 And they lived and Reigned with Christ a thousand years 5. That then there shall be a Resurrection from the Dead 1 Thes 4.16 And the dead in Christ shall rise first Rev. 20.5 6. And the Rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished 1 Cor. 15.21 22 23-51 52. And the dead shall be raised incorruptible c. 6. That then shall be the last and Eternal Judgment Rom. 14.10 and 2 Cor. 5.10 For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ And Act. 17.31 Rom. 2.16 and 2 Tim. 4.1 Who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom 1 Pet. 4.5 Ready to judge the quick and the dead Eccles 12.14 God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing c. Rom. 2.16 and Matth. 12.36 called the Eternal Judgment Heb. 6.2 So then without all controversie or any modest contradiction we have the Testimony of Christ his Apostles and Prophets recorded in the holy Scripture of Truth for the full confirmation of our general Position 3. The Position explained In explaining our general Position I shall begin with the first