eate this bread be shall live for ever and the bread thâ I will give is my flesh which I will give for tââ life of the world vers 50 51. And this breaâ hee giveth to all freely And this is that thaâ will feede and nourish your soules thereforâ feede upon this and doe not spend your labour in vaine thinking to get a righteousneââ of your owne which is not the righteousnesâ of Jesus Christ that thou mightst feede upon that and be satisfied with it but that cannot satisfie thee if thou goest to feede upon it ãâã will choak thee but hearken diligently to me and eate that which is good and let your soule delight it selfe in his fatnesse What he hath donâ for thee and what he hath obtained for thee and come unto me heare and your soul shal live So heare that yee really believe what Christ hath done for you and your soule shall live And I will make an everlasting Covenant with you âven the sure mercies of David For this is the Covenant that I will make with them After those dayes saith the Lord I will put my lawes into their hearts and I will be to them a God and âhey shall be to mee a people And they shall not âeach every man his brother saying know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest For I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and their sinnes and iniquities will I remember no more Heb. 8.10 11 12. And it is a sure Covenant for it was established upon better promises than the old Covenant was and God is unchangeable I am God I change not therefore ye sonnes of Jacob are not consumed And the Spirit and the Bride sayes âome and let him that heareth say come and set him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 Wisedome hath builded her house she hath killed âer beasts shee hath mingled her wine shee hath also furnished her table She hath sent forth her Maidens shee cryeth upon the highest places of the City Whose is simple let him turne in hither as for him that wanteth understanding she saith to him Come eate of my bread and drinke of the wine that I have mingled Prov. 9.1 2 3 4 5. This wisdome is Christ and it was he thâ was killed for the sinnes of the world This the fatted Calfe that was killed Luke 15 2â And the Lamb slain from the beginning of tââ world Matth. 22. Behold I have prepared ãâã dinner my oxen and fatlings are killed and ãâã things are ready come unto the marriage It is Christ alone that hath prepared ãâã things for this spirituall marriage betwiââ himselfe and his people There is nothing ãâã be done but all things are already preparâ for this spirituall feast there is nothing fââ us to doe but to come and eate and drink freely of those things that are prepared for us And hee sends forth his servants for to crye ãâã the highest places of the Citie and to crye ãâã loud Spare not lift up their voyce like a Truââ pet Isa 58.1 That all may hear and come that those that are simple may learne true wiâdome of him CHAP. VI. How wee should come to Christ and have thâ things that he hath prepared for all THere is no other way to come to Chriâââ but by believing what hee hath done foâ them in particular and to apply it to themselves These things are written that ye might beâieve that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and âhat in believing ye might have life through his âame John 20.31 He that believeth in the Son âf God hath the witnesse in himselfe he that belieâeth not God hath made him a lyar because hee âelieved not the record that God witnessed of his âon And this is the record that God hath given ânto us eternall life and this life is in his Sonne He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath âot the Sonne hath not life These things have I written unto you that believe in the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternall life and that ye may believe in the name of the Son âf God 1 John 5.10 11 12 13. For God so loâed the world that he gave his only begotten Son âhat whosoever believeth in him should not perish âut have everlasting life John 3.16 And this is âife eternall that they know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent John â7 3 Let not your hearts be troubled ye believe ân God believe also in me John 14.1 For I am âome a light into the world whosoever believeth in ââe shall not abide in darkenesse Joh. 12.40 And âhis is the worke of God that yee believe in him whom he hath sent John 6.29 Hee that belieâeth in me as saith the Scripture out of his belly shall flow rivers of water of life John 7.38 He that believeth in me hath everlasting life Johâ 6.47 And Jesus said unto them I am the breâ of life he that commeth to me shall not hunger ãâã hee that believeth in me shall never thirst Aââ this is the will of him that sent me that every ãâã which seeth the Son and believeth in him shoââ have everlasting life and I will raise him up the last day John 6.35.40 He that doth believe Christ doth knoâ Christ and doth know the Father also ãâã Christ and his Father are one and hee doââ know that Christ hath pardoned his sins having made full satisfaction for them to his Father and that God is as well pleased with hiâ in his Sonne as he is with his Son and doâ not only believe this because it is in the Scripture but because the Spirit of God witnesseâ it to them by the enjoyment of it though sometimes they have not the comfort of ãâã Believing and faith is all one and we are justâfied by faith and not by workes and therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the workes of the Law Rom. 3 2â By the works of ehe law shall no flesh be justified ãâã his fight For by the Law cometh the knowledge of sin ãâã now is the righteousnesse of God made manifeââ without the Law bearing witnesse of the Law anâ the Prophets to wit the righteousnesse of God ãâã the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that beleeve for there is no difference for all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood to declate his righteousnesse by the forgivenesse of the sins that are passed through the patience of God Rom. 3.20 21 22 23 24 25. If Abraham were justified by works he hath wherein to rejoyce but not with God but what saith the Scripture Abraham beleeved God and it was counted
to him for righteousnesse For the promise that he should be the heire of the world was not given to Abraham or to his seed through the Law or his righteousnesse that hee had obtained by the workes of the Law but through the righteousnesse of faith for if they that are of the Law be heires faith is made voyd and the promise is made of no effect for the law causeth wrath because we cannot keep it for where no Law is there is no transgression it is the Law that discovers sinne unto us Romans 7.7 therefore it is by faith that it might come by grace Rom. 3.23 13 14 15.16 For by faith the righteousnes of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by faith Rom. 1.17 Know that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we I say have beleeved in Iesus Christ that wo might be justified by the faith of Christ and noâ by âhe works of the Law because that by the workâ of the Law no flesh shall be justifie Galat. 2.16 If there had been a law given which could have given life surely righteousnesse should have been bâ the Law but the Scripture hath concluded all under sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be given to them that beleeve but before faith came we were kept under the Law anâ shut up unto the faith which should afterwards ãâã revealed wherefore the Law was our Schoolmastââ to bring us to Christ that we might be made rigâteous by faith but that after faith is come we ãâã no longer under a Schoolmaster Galat. 3.21 22 23 24 25. Now the Law is not our School master to bring us to Christ for Christâcome and the Ministers ought to preach tâ aâl people what Christ hath done for then that they might beleeve and how can they beleeââ in him of whom they have not heard Rom. 1â 14. They must fiâst heare what he hath doââ for them before they can beleeve and Chriââ hath commanded his Apostles and Disciplââ to preach the Gospel to all Matth. 28 1â and what is the Gospel but glad tidings ãâã peace and good things Rom. 10.15 How beautifull upon the mountaines are the feet him that declareth and publisheth peace thâ declareth good tidings and publisheth salâtion saying to Sion Thy God reigneth Isai 5â They are to publish and make knowne to all âorts of people what Christ hath done for âhem how he hath made peace with God for âhem in taking upon him all their sinnes and making full satisfaction for them and hath wrought a perfect salvation for them and ãâã perfect righteousnes for them and all things âs already finished for them Iohn 19.30 and âll things are ready come to the marriage Matth. 22.4 that Christ hath made all âhings ready for us there is nothing to be âone by us for our salvation but for us to âome to him and he will give us all things âreely and he will teach us all things and âead us in the way that we should walk in for ãâã am the Way saith Christ the Truth and the Life no man cometh to the Father but by me Iohn â46 As soon as Christ was born there was an Angel came and declared to the Shepheards in âhe field and said to them Be not afrayd for ââbold I bring you glad tidings of great joy that âhall be to all people that is that unto you is born ãâã Saviour which is Christ the Lord Luke 2.10 â1 God sent his Angell to declare this to the âhepheards that they should declare it to others And this shewes unto us that those âhat God hath made known his love unto by âheir enjoyment of it they must make it ânown to others that they also may be partakers of it and the Angel fell a praising God aying Glory be to God in the high heavens anâ peace in earth and good will towards men at thâ 14. verse Christ being born into the world was ââceeding to Gods glory and by his comiââ he hath made it known to us that he is glorified and he hath made our peace with God and hath made known to us that he is at peaâ with us what love and good will God had to us in Christ and the Angel could doe nâ other but declare this that all might knoâ this and beleeve And this is the Gospel thâ Christ hath commanded should be preacheâ and his Apostles did preach it and Paul saith there is a constraint laid on me woe be to ãâã if I preach not the Gospel I am not ashamedâ the Gospel of Iesus Christ for it is the power ãâã God to salvation to every one that beleeveth Tââ comes with power and overcomes the chiefeâ sinners as it did Paul to heare of the love ãâã God to them and what Christ hath done aââ suffered for them and hath obtained a pardoâ of his Father for them and calls every one tâ come to him and receive their pardon of hiâ This will worke more upon them then ãâã preach the law and judgements to them aâ tell them that God is angry with them thâ drives them from Christ and the messengeâ of Christ must doe the message of Christ and not any thing to drive them from Christ but to set them on beleeving in Christ So now ye may see that the Law is not now our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ now Christ is come the law must not be preached to us except it be to tell us how Christ hath fulfilled it for us but to tell us that we must doe thus and thus or else God will not doe thus and thus for us what is this but to be justified by the workes of the law and in so doing they make God a liar and take the honour from God and give it to themselves for we are wholly justified by faith alone and not by works and it is not our faith that justifies us but it is the faith of Jesus Christ Know that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have beleeved in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ Galat. 2.16 and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Sonne of God Gal. 2.20 By grace are âe saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of Gad not of workes lest any man should boast Ephes 2.8 9. It is not our faith that can justifie us if it could then should we boast that we are justified by our faith and âo make our workes the cause of our justification but here Paul tels us that by grace we are saved that is by the grace of Christ for ãâã hath justified us freely by his grace througâ the redemption that is in Iesus Christ so it ãâã alone by Christ that we are redeemed saw and justified
on him by ââth hee will give thee grace to walke in a ââw course of life and yet still they offer thee âhrist upon condition and thou art exceeâângly terrified with hearing mercies because âou dost not see they belong to thee because âou canst not believe Thus thou seest beloved what a spirituall âândage thou art in with sinne and the Devill ââd false Teachers like the children of Israel ãâã Aegypt what sore bon dage they were in ãâã temporall things so ar t thou now in spiâââuall And thou knowest not what to doe ââât cry unto the Lord as they did and the âord sent them word that they should be ââought out of the Land of Aegypt and that âondage to serve him in another Land so he will doe by thee thou art in such a spiritâ bondage in this spirituall Aegypt that thââ canst not serve the Lord here therefore ãâã Lord comes to bring thee out which he dââ by declaring unto thee that this is not ãâã way of God and hee would not have ãâã walke in it nor heare these false Teacherâny more for thou art more and more woâded by them Oh thinkst thou to thy selfe will goe hear them that they call Independeââ I see they grow exceedingly in grace and hâââ aboundance of joy and walke very comâââtably with God and Paul bids us try all thinâ So I will see whether they can tell me tidiââ of my Beloved So when thou art thus a âââing out of this spirituall Aegypt then conâspirtuall Pharaoh the Devill with his Armie ââter thee of reproaches and scandals and âtream displeasure of those that are of near ââlation to thee for thy going in these stranââ wayes as they say calling thee Heretiqââ and threatning thee that if thou wilt not leaâ off these wayes they will never doe any thââ for thee but will doe thus and thus again thee then thou art in aboundance of slaw feares and the red sea of persecution befoââ thee If the Clergie could but get power ãâã the Magistrate which they have done the good will to get it in the meane timethey wpersecute you in words and raile on you in heir pulpits and call you Hereticks and say âis pitty you should live you are the disturâers of the peace and if they let you alone âou will be the ruine of the Kingdome And âhis they doe against thee because thou wilt âot heare them any more for thou art so âounded with their Sermons that thou canst ââot heare them any longer Yet they tell thee âhou must wait upon them till the Lord make ânown his mind to them and it is a question whether ever he will make known his minde âo them or no Mat. 23.13 But woe unto you âcribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye shut up the Kingdom of heaven against men for ye neither goe ââyour selves neither suffer ye them that are entring âo goe in But they are blind leaders of the blinde ând both shall fall into the pits Thus thou seest what a streight thou art in âetwixt Pharoah's Armie and the red Sea and âhou cryest to the Lord as the children of Israââ did and what did Moses say which was a âype of Christ Exod. 14.13 14. Moses said ânto the people feare ye not stand still and see âe salvation of the Lord the Lord shall fight for ââu and you shall hold your peace First I shall shew you that yet thou hast âot seen the salvation of the Lord. Secondly Thou must stand still and thou shalt see the salvation of the Lord for thee 1. I will not deny but that thou art ãâã child of God for that good seed spoken of Mat. 13. is sowne in thee which seed is ãâã Word in vers 19. of this Chapter and ãâã Word is Christ John 1. Which seede is Chriâââ Gal. 3.16 Know ye not that Christ is in you ââcept you be reprobates but I trust you shall knâââ you are not reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5 6. For Gâââ hath made knowne to thee that this seed is thee for thou findest that there is a new woââ wrought in thee for now thou hatest sintâ and hast a desire after goodnesse and it is thââ seede in thee which makes thee so For whââ thou wast in thy naturall condition thââ hadst no such inclination to good thouââ sometimes thou art ready to deny this throuââ the Devills temptation and thy owne corruâtions But yet thou dost not know the true way Jesus Christ The Sonne of righteousnesse not risen in thee to lighten thee in his truth as the truth is in Jesus Christ saith I am ãâã way the truth and the life no man commeth the Father but by me John 14.6 And while the Lord doth come and lighten thee in ãâã wayes thou canst not find it out but thou a in the darke and one that is in the dark caââ not doe any thing well and is ready to stuââ âe at all things and yet would faine doe âomething Thus thou goest along in thy own strength ãâã perform duties but all thy duties and righousnesse is as filthy rags and that the Devill âill tell thee and he will overcome thee with is temptations for all thy righteousnesse This not a sufficient armour to stand against him ãâã will wound thee for all this For except ââur righteousnesse exceeds the righteousnesse of the âribes and Pharisees you shall in no wise enter to the Kingdome of heaven Which as yet thou ââmmest short of that righteousnesse of the âribes and Pharisees for they were wonderââll strict in their wayes for they lookt to be âstified by the workes of the Law They did âât know any other way therefore they walâd in that way they were in the dark and ãâã they worked according So it is with thee âou lookest to be justified by the works of the ââaw for thou seest no other way nor hast âen taught any other way although in words ââth thou and they that taught thee are ready ãâã deny it But doe you not say that except ye do thus ââd thus God will not doe thus and thus for ââou What is this but to be justified by your ââwne righteousnesse but thou dost as the ââouse did in Cant. 3.1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soule loved I sought him bâ I found him not What was this night but the time of hâ darke condition and what is darknesse but want of light And in this night on her beâ what was this bed A bed is to take their nâ upon which was her owne performances a righteousnesse But she sought him but she câânot find him upon her bed for thy bed is tâ short for thee to stretch thy self upon tâ covering too narrow to wrap thy self withaâ before the Lord had shewed her the light his owne selfe to leade her where shee shou finde him Shee looked for him upon her bââ of her owne performances but it is too shoââ to reach to heaven and this covering of hâ
in the booke of the Law to them Gal. 3.10 Deut. 27.26 Exod. 20. ãâã the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting tââ niquity of the Fathers upon the children unto third and fourth generation of them that hate And the Lord hath too pure an eye to behâ iniquity there is not any thing that is anâ my to God but the Devill and sin 1 Job He that committeth sin is of the Devill for Devill sinneth from the beginning And as lââ as ye commit sinne the Devill is your Fat John 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Deââ and the lusts of your father you will doe and thou art the servant to the Devill Rom. 6. Know ye not to whom ye yeild your selves servâ to obey his servants ye are to whom you obey ãâã ther of sin unto death or of obedience unto riââ âesse And vers 20. When ye were the servants âân ye were free from righteousnesse Vers 23. ãâã wages of sinne is death And if thou enterâe sinne in thy heart the Lord will not hear ãâã prayer The Lord is the searcher of hearts âd hee knowes the wickednesse of thy heart âd thou must give account for every idle âught therefore you must search and exaââe you throughly of all your sinnes and ãâã truly humbled for every sinne But many âen God shewes them their sins it is too teâus to them they cannot beare it they âuld fain have comfort administred to them ât we have no such warrant from God till we ãâã you throughly humbled for your sins wee ââst not daube you up with untemper'd morââ but doe to you as a skilfull Surgeon doth âa dangerous wound search it to the quick ââd you must endanger it if you meane to be âred For if we tell you of mercy before you âe throughly humbled this will heale your âunds without but they will ranckle withâââ and that is the reason your comforts so be and flow We are Christs Embassadours and we must âe the message of Christ which is the deliââring the Doctrine of Christ and ye shall find at we preached the Law and Judgement to âing them in to repent Mat. 11.21 22 23 24. Then hee began to upbraid the Cities wherâ most of his mighty workes were done because ãâã repented not Woe unto thee Chorazin ãâã unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty worâ which have been done in you had been done in Tââ and Sidon they would have repented long ãâã in sack-cloath and ashes But I say unto you shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at day of judgement than for you And thou ãâã pernaum which art exalted unto heaven shâ be brought downe to hell For if the mighty worâ which have beene done in thee had beene done Sodome it would have remained untill this dââ But I say unto you that it shall be more toleraâ for the land of Sodome in the day of judgemâââ than for thee Luke 13.3 Except yee repent ãâã shall all likewise perish And when you are thus throughly humble then there is mercie offered you Mat. 11.2 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy ãâã den and I will give you rest Take my yoke up you and learne of mee for I am meeke and loââ in heart and ye shall find rest for your soules ãâã my yoke is easie and my burthen is light Jer. 2â 11 12 13. For I know the thoughts that I thiâ towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace aâ not of evill to give you an expected end Thâ shall ye call upon me and ye shall goe and pray unâ me and I will hearken unto you And ye shââ ââeke me and finde me when ye shall search for âe with all your heart Jer. 33.8 And I will canse them from all their iniquity whereby they ââve sinned against mee and whereby they have âansgressed against me Psalm 103.8 9. 111. ãâã 13. The Lord is mercifull and gracious slow anger and plenteous in mercy He will not ââwayes chide neither will he keepe his anger for âer He hath not dealt with us after our sinnes âr rewarded us according to our iniquities For ãâã the heaven is high above the earth so great is âs mercie to them that feare him As farre as the âast is from the West so far hath he removed our âansgressions from us Like as a Father pittieth ãâã children so the Lord pittieth them that feare âim And vers 3. He forgiveth all thine iniquiââes hee healeth all thy diseases Amoâ 5.4 Thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel Seeke ãâã me and ye shall live And many other plaâes of Scripture to this purpose might be cited âut these places are sufficient to shew you what sad condition you are in so long as you conâânue in your sins and how mercifull the Lord ãâã if you returne unto him with all your heart ând be truly humbled and walke in a new ourse of life Exod. 20.6 Shewing mercy unto âhousands of them that love me and keep my Comâandements Thus they are able to lay open thy wounds and make them bigger and in stead of pâring in the precious balsome of the Church Christ which will cure thy wounds tâ powre in brine to terrifie thee and they thee upon duties and tell thee thou must thus and thus qualified before thou commeâ Christ but they will not nor cannot thee how thou must come to be thus qualifiââ for they will tell thee all thy righteousnesse iâ filthy rags When thou hearest these things thou aââ great deal more troubled then ever thou waâ thou art now at thy wits end and even reaââ to despair thou canst see nothing but sin aââ if thou couldst repent and walke in a nâââ course of life then there was hopes of merââ but thou findest thou canst not doe it theâfore thou conciudest there is no mercy ãâã thee therefore thou art sore troubled aââ knowst not what to doe Thou seest the Loââ angry with thee for thy sins and thinkst thââ all the afflictions that comes upon thee is ãâã judgement of the Lord for thy sinnes the thinkest thy selfe to be a damned reprobaâââ quite empty of all goodnesse and expectââ daily some fearefull judgement to fall upââ thee for thy sinnes Oh thinkst thou if ãâã wrath of God lay so heavy upon Christ thâ made him to cry out My God my God why bââââ ãâã forsaken me and he having no sin Matth. ãâã 46. For if they doe these things in a greene ãâã what shall be done in a dry tree Luke 23. And if the righteous scarcely be saved where all the sinner and ungodly appeare 1 Pet. 4.18 âen thou thinkest I shall surely be damned ââen the Devill tempts thee to lay violent âânds on thy selfe and many times thou art âdy to doe it but that the Lord prevents it ââd the Ministers sees thee in such a despairing âândition they tell thee thou must believe ââat the Lord hath done these and these things ãâã thee And if thou wilt lay hold